Couch, Lana Murphy, 1941-2007
Person
Dates
- Existence: November 27, 1941 - April 22, 2007
BIographical information
Lana Murphy Couch was born in Smiths Grove, Kentucky on Nov. 27, 1941. She was the only child of Floyd W. and Fanny C. Murphy. Couch moved to Martinsville, Indiana in the early 1950s. She was a 1963 graduate of Purdue University with a degree in aeronautical engineering.
Couch was employed by NASA, Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. and NASA, Headquarters in Washington, DC from 1963 through 2003. She started her career as a wind tunnel test engineer and advanced through a series of increasingly responsible technical and management positions to retire in 2003 as the Associate Director for Business Management at NASA Langley Research Center.
She was a member of the Senior Executive Service and a Purdue University Distinguished Engineering Alumnus. Couch was a Fellow of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics, and a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. She was the holder of several U.S. and international patents for improvements to wind tunnel design and was the author of many technical papers. She was also the recipient of numerous technical and management awards for her contributions to NASA and to aeronautical sciences including the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, and the NASA Equal Employment Opportunity Medal.
Lana Murphy Couch passed away on April 22, 2007.
Citation
NASA News, excerpted from the Daily Press on April 24, 2007.Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Lana Murphy Couch papers
Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSA 312
Scope and Contents
The Lana Murphy Couch papers document Couch's forty year career with NASA, first as a wind tunnel test engineer, and later in management positions. Types of materials include: correspondence, newsletters, papers, photographs, programs, publications, research and work reports, technical reports, VHS tapes, writings, and material related to award recognition.
Dates:
1953 - 1997; Majority of material found within 1970 - 1995