Henry Edward Warden

Early life Henry Edward Warden was born in McKinney, Texas on December 26, 1915. He was the son of US Army Brigadier General John A. Warden and Jane Abernathy Warden. He studied architecture for two years at Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College and received a degree in aeronautical engineering from Catholic University in Washington, D.C.

Military career In November 1939, Warden enlisted in the Army Air Corps with the rank of lieutenant. Warden directed Boeing to redesign the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress with jet engines. With that decision, Warden became "one of the founding fathers of the B-52".

Later military assignments In 1953, after achieving the rank of colonel, Warden was put in charge of long-range planning in the Pentagon's Air Warfare Systems Division because of his technological expertise. In 1957, Warden became deputy commander for tests at the Air Force Missile Test Center, Patrick Air Force Base in Florida. In 1960, Warden was assigned a central role in restructuring the predecessor to the Air Force Systems Command.

Later years In 1964, Warden retired from the Air Force. For the next 6 years, he served as corporate director of plans for North American Aviation. In 1970, Warden moved to Columbus, Mississippi, with his wife and three children. In Columbus, he managed his farm and initiated the Warden-Carden School that ministered to the youth of Columbus for more than 20 years. Colonel Warden died on November 15, 2007, and was interred in Friendship Cemetery in Columbus, Mississippi.