Irving Theodore Waaland

Born in Brooklyn, New York he started from modest beginnings as the child of Norwegian immigrants; his father a master carpenter and his mother managing a boarding house. After graduation from the famed Brooklyn Technical High School, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps serving in counterintelligence in both Belgium and occupied Germany after World War II. With the help of his GI Bill, he graduated from New York University magna cum laude with a Batchelor’s of Aeronautical Engineering in 1953.

Irv had a lifelong interest in aviation that culminated in forming and leading the design team that created the B-2 "Spirit" Bomber.

He started his Aerospace career at Grumman Aerospace Corp. For over 20 years he worked in the aerodynamic designs of the FI0F-l, FIlA, E-2C, and Gulfstream I. He led the aerodynamic and propulsion design of the Gulfstream II business jet. His time at Grumman culminated as he led the aerodynamic design of the F-14 Tomcat from inception to fleet introduction.

He joined Northrop Corp. leading the naval version of Northrop's F-17 lightweight fighter, which evolved into the F/ A-18 design. He is a pioneer in the development of stealth aircraft design, leading the engineering activities of the XST program and the Tacit Blue Stealth Technology Flight Program. In 1979 he was given responsibility for creating the Advanced Technology Bomber program which resulted in the B-2 program award. He became Vice President of Engineering and Advanced Technology for the B-2 Division. He retained design leadership of the B- 2 program through Preliminary Design Review. In 1988, he became Vice President, Chief Designer for the corporation.

Irv Waaland has received numerous awards for the design of the B-2. In 1991 he was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering, named a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and invited to give the AIAA Wright Brothers Lectureship in Aeronautics. He has also been inducted onto the wall of honor at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

Irv Waaland was survived by his sister Sonja Moran and children Scott Waaland, Diane Stein, Jeffrey Waaland and Neil Bard as well as 10 Grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by wives Helen Rita Waaland and Karlea Williams and brother, Arthur Waaland, children Elizabeth Waaland and Theodore Waaland and grandson Jonathon Lewis.

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