ADJUSTMENT TO MARSHALL ORGANIZATION, ANNOUNCEMENT #4 TO MY FELLOW
EMPLOYEES:
It is with real pleasure and pride that I congratulate you for the outstanding accomplishment of the Apollo 8 mission. Your long hours of hard work and unstinting devotion to duty have paid off in the accomplishment of a very difficult mission unparalleled for its flawless execution. Congratulations for a job well done. We are truly on our way to the lunar landing.
I also want to discuss with you organizational changes in the structure of the Marshall Center which were first related to you and to the public on December 6, 1968. This is an update on that information with some changes and a number of additions. First of all let me tell you a little about the "why" of reorganization. Few organizations can operate for long periods of time without change if they intend to keep abreast of changing times. It is healthy to reorganize periodically but not just for the sake of reorganization. The basic structure of Marshall was changed last about five years ago. It is necessary that we repeat the procedure in view of the changing missions and roles of this Center. While the current organization proved highly effective for the Apollo Program, change is indicated in recognition of the evolving missions and roles of the Center. It is particularly appropriate now in recognition of the status of Apollo and the emphasis on the Apollo Applications Program.
The philosophy of the reorganization and the concept on which it is based have been approved by the Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight and by the Acting Administrator. Organizational changes below the first tier will shortly be submitted for formal approval by Headquarters.
A recapitulation of the top level management with minor changes from our memoranda to all of you early in December is as follows: plan on keeping my job as Director of the Center and Dr. Rees will retain his title of " Deputy Director, Technical. Mr. Harry Gorman, who presently is Deputy Director, Administrative, will assume a new title of Deputy Director, Management.
The new position of Associate Director for Science will be filled by Dr Ernst Stuhlinger.
Concerning the Staff Offices - we have retained at the Center level only those elements for which Center management has a direct responsibility and day-to-day involvement. The other elements formerly shown at this level have been assigned to Director of Administration and Technical Services.
The four line organizations will be: Director of Program Development headed by Dr. William Lucas; Director of Science and Engineering (formerly Research and Development Operations) under Mr. Hermann Weidner; Director of Program Management (formerly Industrial Operations) headed by Major General Edmund O'Connor; and a new office headed by Mr. David Newby as Director of Administration and Technical Services.
I should like to deal individually with these organizational elements. Dr. Stuhlinger, as the Associate Director for Science, will assume the responsibility for enhancing and strengthening Marshall Center's role in the space sciences, particularly contributing to the formulation of space sciences as they relate to new programs which the Center can undertake in the future. His will also be the responsibility of providing a dynamic interface with NASA Headquarters and with the scientific community generally. He will also be the scientific conscience of the Center, responsible for the adequacy of the scientific efforts wherever they are performed or located. Dr. Lucas, as Director of Program Development, will have the primary function of "hardening" complete package plans for promising new programs such as the space station. He will gather, organize, and direct a task force of outstanding Marshall people to focus on these new programs. Also within Bill Lucas' responsibilities will be advanced studies and feasibility determination, preliminary design and program definition and, a continuing assessment of this Center's ability to perform specific tasks. This organization will include the present Advanced Systems Office and will assume the functions of the co-located preliminary design groups and the function of . the. Scientific .Payload Division presently in Space Sciences Laboratory. Mr. Hermann Weidner will head Science and Engineering which represents " our major in-house technical capability. To help accomplish the overall objectives of the Director of Science and Engineering, I would like to announce at this point four key appointments within Mr. Weidner's organization, effective April 1, 1969. These appointments will be on an acting basis pending formal approval by Headquarters. Mr. Ludie Richard will assume the position of Deputy Director, Technical within Science and Engineering. Mr. Dick Cook will move up from Assistant Director in Research and Development Operations to Deputy Director, Operations under the new Director of Science and Engineering. Dr. Walter Haeussermann will become Director of the new Systems Engineering Directorate of Science and Engineering.
Mr. Brooks Moore will become the Director, Astrionics Laboratory, succeeding Dr. Haeussermann.
Dr. Haeussermann will begin immediately with the changes to Astrionics Laboratory and will have this transition well underway by April 1. Mr. Richard will be instrumental in establishing the news Systems Engineering Organization for Dr. Haeussermann. Personnel and organization changes, policy and operating arrangements will be fully coordinated and carried out in parallel.
To posture the Science and Engineering Organization to be in the best position for future roles, for diverse assignments, and to strengthen Systems Engineering:
The new Systems Engineering Directorate will be established as a line organization with direction and decision authority for overall Center Systems Engineering.
Aero-Astrodynamics, Astrionics, and P&VE laboratories will be reorganized to separate the system integration functions from the equipment development and design functions.
The new System Integration Divisions will functionally operate as a part of the new Systems Engineering Directorate.
The Systems Engineering Directorate, Aero-Astrodynamics, Astrionics, and Propulsion and Vehicle Engineering Laboratories will be physically located in close proximity.
The Test Operation and Component Testing Divisions will become a part of PfeVE. Certain personnel and functions of Test's Instrumentation and Control Di4'ision will become a part of Astrionic s.
Detailed plans for these actions are now being developed. As soon as possible, everyone concerned will be advised by their Directors.
Industrial Operations becomes Program Management. General O'Connor will continue to manage this organization. This important element remains as the proven program management organization and will continue to manage large programs.
We are expanding Apollo Applications Program Office under the management of Lee Belew as the program moves forward.
We are combining Saturn IB and Saturn V into the Saturn Program Office under Lee James as our Apollo effort moves successfully ahead. This arrangement will provide for maximum utilization of personnel during the rapidly changing phases of the Apollo Program, and will provide for flexibility in the future. As you know, our current plans call for launches of Saturn V through the Lunar Landing with a few subsequent revisits to different locations on the Lunar surface. Thereafter there will be a gap in Saturn V launchings while we turn to the use of the Saturn IB vehicle for the approved AAP missions.
The fourth major line element is the Director of Administration and Technical Services. This major organization will be headed by Mr. David H. Newby. Dave will have the responsibility for those major administration and technical service elements which were shown formerly at the Center level. These elements include Facilities Office, Technical Services Office, Management Services Office, Financial Management Office, Purchasing Office, Manpower Office (formerly Manpower Utilization and Administration), Patent Counsel and Cost Reduction.
I realize that we have not mentioned all of our key officials and many of our important offices, but I did want to give you an interim look at how we are progressing. As I pointed out previously, much of what we are doing while it has been approved in principle has not yet been formally presented to our Headquarters.
I assure you that opportunities in the new organization will exist for everyone. But changes take time and we ask that you bear with us while we are working out the details.
№132
von Braun, Wernher (16 January 1969)."Adjustment to Marshall Organization, Announcement No. 4"(PDF).MSFC History Office.NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.Archived frombthe original(PDF)
ADJUSTMENT TO MARSHALL ORGANIZATION EMPLOYEES (Translate in Russian)
After serving as Deputy Director of Development Operations for the Army Ballistic Missile Agency,[3] Rees became the Marshall Space Flight Center Deputy for Technical and Scientific Matters in 1960 and directed the Lunar Roving Vehicle program.
On March 1, 1970, Rees was appointed as the Director of the Marshall Space Flight Center,[9] in Huntsville, Alabama, as von Braun's handpicked successor,[10] from which he managed the Skylab space station development and construction. He retired from NASA in 1973.
German expert in guided missiles during World War II. Joined the Rocket Team at Fort Bliss in 1947. Involved in design and construction of the Guided Missile Test Facility at the Redstone Arsenal, 1951-1955. By 1960, Deputy Director, Structures and Mechanics Division, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Played a key role in development of the Saturn V as Director of Research and Development Operations in the Saturn Program Office, supervising 4000 staff, from September 1963. Retired in 1973 and returned to live in Solms, Germany in 1975.
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