L.T.E. Thompson

Dr. Louis Ten Eyck "Tec" Thompson (October 24, 1891 in South Haven, Michigan – December 13, 1978); known as Dr. Tommy) was a US physicist interested in thermodynamica and ballistics and as an expert working for the US Navy from 1920 to 1954. He was the first technical director at the China Lake Naval Air Stations, in California where he was involved in work on the Manhattan Project (helping in designing the "gun" used to initiate nuclear explosives) and most involved in the development of rockets for naval and marine fighter aircraft.

Thompson received his BS from Kalamazoo College in 1914, MA in 1915 and PhD in 1917 from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. During 1917-19 he was an assistant professor and fellow at Clark doing research on thermodynamics and ballistics.

The Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake named an award in his honor.

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