Dr. Daniel Savitsky, Professor Emeritus Stevens Institute of Technology, has been a leader in the field of high-speed marine vehicle hydrodynamics for 70 years. His landmark paper, "Hydrodynamic Design of Planing Hulls", published in the very first (1964) edition of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers Marine Technology, is well known to all in the field. An in-depth look at his life and career beyond this singular contribution will be shared in honor of his many contributions to his family, colleagues, students and friends.
Dan Savitsky began his career as a student at the College of the City of New York, graduating in 1942 to work for the EDO Corporation at College Point, New York. Here at EDO, his love for the planing surface was born with his involvement in the development of seaplane floats during the war. After being drafted into the Army of the United States, he was assigned to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’ Langley Laboratory in 1944, where he advanced his knowledge not only of planing surfaces, but an important future skill, model testing.
His next and current home was Stevens Institute’s Davidson Laboratory, where he obtained a Masters degree in 1952 and up the ranks from project engineer to Director of the Laboratory. He later obtained his Doctorate from New York University in 1972, and mentored untold scores of students. He achieved many honors during this time such as the SNAME Cochrane and Davidson awards and the Stevens Jess Davis award. These awards were earned through scientific contributions passed on to us in numerous papers and presentations, as well as through his active participation in professional organizations such as SNAME, ASME, ATTC, ITTC and many more.
There are numerous accounts of his kindness and concern as well as scholarly advice to laymen, students and professionals alike. An attempt is made here to present Dr Savitsky’s many contributions, not just a tabulation of his technical achievements, but to include his influence on the many who have worked with or were taught by him.
