Sheila Widnall

About

Aerospace researcher who served as the United States Secretary of the Air Force from 1993 to 1997. She was the first female Secretary and the first woman to lead an entire branch of the U.S. military in the Department of Defense.

Before Fame

She graduated from MIT in Aeronautics with an S.B. in 1960, S.M. in 1961, and Sc.D. in 1964.

Trivia

She studied the causes of what could have led to the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.

Family Life

She had two children with her husband William Soule Widnall.

Associated With

She served as secretary of the Air Force when Bill Clinton was president.