Alvin Luedecke

Alvin Roubal Luedecke (; 10 October 1910 – 9 August 1998) was a United States Army Air Forces general during World War II. He commanded the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project after the war. After retiring from the Air Force in 1958, he became the General Manager of the United States Atomic Energy Commission. He was appointed deputy director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1964 and was the acting president of Texas A&M University from 30 March 1970, to 1 November 1970.

Early life and career Alvin Roubal Luedecke was born in Eldorado, Texas, on 1 October 1910, the oldest of eight children of John H. Luedecke, a rancher and farmer, and his wife Lizzie. He grew up on the family ranch. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas in 1932.

Luedecke was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the field artillery reserve on 28 May 1932, and was posted to Camp Bullis, Texas, on Reserve Officers' Training Corps duty. He became a flying cadet on 21 February 1933. After completing his flight training at the Primary Flying School at Randolph Field, Texas, and the Advanced Flying School Bomber course at March Field, California, and Hamilton Field, California, he received a reserve commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Air Corps on 20 February 1935.

Luedecke was posted to the 11th Bombardment Squadron at Hamilton Field. The next year he became group operations and intelligence officer of the 7th Bombardment Group there. On 1 October 1938 he was commissioned as a regular second lieutenant in the Army Air Corps, and was posted to the 25th Bombardment Squadron at France Field in the Panama Canal Zone. He was also awarded an honorary Legum Doctor (LL.D.) degree by the A&M College of Texas, now Texas A&M University, in 1946.

Cold War Luedecke returned to the United States in February 1946, and was assigned to the Joint War Plans Committee in Washington, D.C., as the senior Army Air Force member. On 22 October 1947 he became assistant director of the Joint Strategic Plans Group. On 14 June 1949 he was posted to the Military Liaison Committee of the United States Atomic Energy Commission as executive military secretary. On 16 March 1951 he became the Air Force Deputy Chief of the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project.

That year he returned to Texas A&M University as an associate dean of engineering, engineering research coordinator and associate director of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station.

He died in San Antonio, Texas, on 9 August 1998 and was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio. He was survived by his wife Isabelle, son, Alvin R. Luedecke Jr., daughters Jan Lee Maynard and Miriam Luedecke, and six sisters. 1968 NASA Exceptional Service Medal