The Elmendorf Family

Harry Elmendorf is currently an associate professor of practice in the Aerospace Engineering department at Texas A&M University. He has held the positon since returning to Texas from retirement in California in 2014. He teaches a course in Capstone Airplane Design to senior Aerospace students. 

Harry’s family has a long history with Texas A&M. His brother, Dave, Class of ’67, was an All-American football player at A&M and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Dave is also the long-time radio analyst for Aggie football games on the Texas A&M Sports Network.
Harry’s father, Edward, was a member of the class of 1938 and also played football at A&M. Following military service during World War II, Edward returned to A&M in 1947 to complete his electrical engineering degree. At that time, veteran family housing was located at the A&M Annex, and Edward, his wife and two sons at the time–Patrick and Harry–lived on the Annex grounds.

Harry Elmendorf picks up his story from there.

Following graduation from Texas A&M with his Aero Engineering degree, Harry Elemendorf started his industry career with TRW supporting human spaceflight programs at the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston. He transferred with TRW to Redondo Beach California in 1972. There he continued to support human spaceflight as well as multiple satellite, space remote sensing, propulsion, space instrument and high-energy laser programs. Harry left TRW for 8 years to manage an advanced space remote sensing programs for NASA. He then returned to TRW in 1996 as a member of the executive staff and supported many advanced-technology programs. He retired from TRW in 2001 and joined Orbital Sciences Corp.where he headed the company’s chemical/biological program to improve U.S defense capabilities. He was a member of the Aerospace Engineering Department’s External Advisory Board for 17 years until accepting a position with the department as a professor of practice in 2014.