Wolfgang B. Klemperer papers, 1909-2003

Wolfgang Benjamin Klemperer, prominent aeronautical engineer and aviation pioneer, was born in Dresden, Germany on January 18, 1893. He was the son of Leon and Charlotte Klemperer. His aviation career began during World War I, when he joined the Austrian Air Force in 1915. Serving as a pilot, he helped to develop weaponry on military aircraft. After the war, he graduated from the Dresden Institute of Technology in 1920 and became a professor at the Aachen Aerodynamics Institute.

Klemperer became a pioneer in non-motorized flight during the early 1920s. He was a highly regarded glider pilot and helped to organize several gliding and soaring clubs in Germany. From 1922 to 1924, Klemperer was head of research at Zeppelin Airship Company, in which he was involved in the development of zeppelins. He also furthered his education during this period, earning his doctorate in engineering from Aachen Institute of Technology in 1924.

Klemperer moved to the United States in 1924 to become manager of research at Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation in Akron, Ohio. In this capacity, he continued his work in the development and construction of zeppelins, most notably the U.S.S. Akron and the U.S.S. Macon. In 1936, Klemperer became a research engineer at Douglas Aircraft Company in Santa Monica, California, and later became Vice President of Research and Development. At Douglas, he invented and patented a visual flight simulator and the pressurized flight cabin.

Wolfgang Klemperer married Maria N. Englemann on March 29, 1932. The couple had two children: Eleanor and Walter. He was also an active member of several organizations, including the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences, the Soaring Society of America, and the Southern California Soaring Association.

Wolfgang B. Klemperer passed away in 1965.