complexed artist

Eldon E. MATHAUSER

NEWPORT NEWS - Eldon E. Mathauser died at 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 13, 2011. He was born in Nebraska on May 2, 1921, and attended public school there.
He enrolled at the University of Nebraska in the Engineering College in September 1939. He was a member of the University Marching band and participated in the activities at the 1941 Rose Bowl when Nebraska played Stanford. This was the very first bowl game in which Nebraska participated.
He graduated from the Engineering College in 1944 with a degree in Civil Engineering and began employment with the Douglas Aircraft Co. of Long Beach, Calif. He was surprised to find that the plant as well as the parking lot were camouflaged with wire netting and antiaircraft guns surrounded the facility and were manned continuously.
He left Douglas Aircraft Co. in June 1944 when he accepted a commission in the U.S. Naval Reserve. After a brief indoctrination period in Tucson, Ariz., and several months of Radar Training in Hollywood, Fla., he was assigned to the USS Harding at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He served as Radar Officer in charge of the Combat Information Center. His ship operated in the Pacific Theater and participated in the invasion of Okinawa in March 1945. His ship was damaged seriously by Japanese Kamikaze air planes with significant loss of life in April 1945.
After the war he began teaching in the Engineering College of the University of NE in 1946. He married Deloris Donnelson of Norfolk, Neb., on June 6, 1948. He moved to Virginia in 1951 and began employment with NACA (later NASA). His first effort was directed at solving complex problems using the advanced digital computer available at the National Bureau of Standards in Washington D.C.
He turned his attention to the study of high-temperature effects on materials and aircrafts structures. He was a NASA delegate to the International Conference of the effects of high temperatures on materials held at Oslo, Norway in 1963.
He served as Langley representative on Structures and Material to the project Dyna-Soar that was conducted by the Boeing, Co. for the U.S. Air Force in the early 1960's. This program led to the design of a space glider that resembled the U.S. space shuttle and predated that vehicle by nearly 30 years.
In 1965, he served as president of the Engineer's Club of the VA Peninsula. He later became an honorary life member.
He served as editor of the NASA report that was prepared for the U.S. Congress following the fire and death of the three astronauts in the Apollo Spacecraft at Cape Canaveral, Fla. in 1967.
He was the head of the Material Application Branch at Langley. One of his group studies led to application of graphite fiber-resin composite material in the structures of nearly 100 commercial aircraft operated by many airlines flying over the world. The successful conclusion of that program helped lead to the rapid acceptance of advanced composite materials in aircraft and spacecraft.
His Branch continued to study advanced materials for aircraft and spacecraft application, developed high temperature resins for structural composite use and pursued application of advanced materials on special vehicles including the Mach 3 high - speed aircraft known as the SR-71.
He retired from NASA in 1979 and began extensive travel of the U.S. with his wife. In 25 years they had crossed the U.S. more than 50 times. He became a proficient photographer and frequently presented the results of their travels to interested groups.
He committed his full time and energy to care for his wife when her health declined until her death in June 2009. He was a member of Grace United Methodist Church for more than 40 years.
He was preceded in death by his sister, Alice Carlson and husband, Walter of Washington D.C.; and his parents, Emil and Anna Mathauser of Ord, Neb.
He is survived by his sister, Lydia Severson and husband, Don of Grand Island, Neb.; son, Dean Mathauser of Newport News; a daughter, Deborah Minor and husband, Gary of Hampton; two grandsons, Seth Robb of Newport News, and Charles Stay IV of Gladstone, Ore.; three double cousins, Marie Borghese and husband, Richard of Washington D.C., Amelia and husband, Alvin of Burwell, Neb. and Wilma Donner and husband of Sun City, Ariz.; a niece, Carolyn Cadiere and husband, Tom of Athens, Ga.; nephew, Robert Carlson and wife, Carlene of Denver, Colo.; also great-grandchildren, Madelyn, Katryna, Alexzenna Stay of Gladstone, Ore.