Frederick C. Durant

Childhood and education Durant was a descendant of Thomas C. Durant and engineer Joseph Harrison, Jr. Durant's father was Frederick C. Durant Jr., an engineer educated at MIT and the Colorado School of Mines, who became president of a telephone company In 1939, Durant earned a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from Lehigh University.

Rocketry and spaceflight At a meeting of Project Orbiter on March 16, 1954, Fred C. Durant is seen seated at the table, second from the left. In 1947, Durant began work as a rocket engineer with Bell Aircraft in Buffalo New York.

Later life: Smithsonian director and author In 1961, Durant moved to D.C., where he would stay until 1999. The book features a foreword by Arthur C. Clarke.

Personal life Durant was a lifelong member of Society of American Magicians. He married Celeste Bennett, who died from hepatitis In 1947, Durant married Carolyn Jones ("Pip"). He was father to three sons and one daughter. Durant died in 2015, being preceded in death by his two of his sons: Derek and William.