Andrew G. Haley

Andrew Gallagher Haley (November 19, 1904 in Tacoma, Washington – 1966) was an American lawyer. He has been described as the world’s first practitioner of space law. Haley coined the term Metalaw, which refers to a field of legal thought now closely related to the scientific Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).

In 1928, Haley earned his LLB from Georgetown University Law School and later earned a BA from George Washington University.

In the early days of jet-assisted takeoff (JATO), engineers including Theodore von Kármán decided to form Aerojet Corporation to provide a business structure to their activities. When von Kármán called on Haley in 1942 to help with the incorporation, Haley said he was busy with a case before the Federal Power Commission. In a gesture of quid pro quo, von Kármán’s team provided evidence to win Haley’s case before the Commission, and Haley went to California to draw up the articles of incorporation.

When financing from the Air Force was interrupted, General Benjamin Chidlaw told Kármán, "Find somebody who knows something about doing business with Washington and send him here." Haley’s knowledge of the business and legal training made him the man for the job. But he was in uniform at Military Affairs Division of Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Air Force. Theodore worked his way up the chain of command to General Arnold who dismissed Haley for civilian duty at Aerojet.

Aerojet expanded quickly, but needed capital, so Haley contacted William F. O'Niel, president of General Tire and his vice-president Dan A. Kimball. A line of credit was offered and in January 1945 General Tire bought half the stock of Aerojet. General Tire pressured the remaining shareholders, including Haley and Kármán, to sell, which they did in 1953.

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