Robert C. Duncan

Robert Clifton Duncan

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Robert Clifton "Cliff" Duncan is an American engineer and engineering manager, particularly for the US Government. He is best known for two of the programs he directed to successful completion - guidance and control for Apollo program, and the Polaroid SX-70 camera.
Born in Jonesville, Virginia and raised in Xenia, Ohio, Duncan received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy Class of 1946. He received BS degrees from the Naval Academy (1945) and the Naval Postgraduate School (1953), and MS and ScD degrees in aeronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His 1954 master's thesis was entitled Fundamental design principles of an attack simulator for airborne fire control systems. His 1960 doctoral thesis was entitled Guidance parameters and constraints for controlled atmospheric entry.

Education

• United States Naval Academy (1945)

• Naval Postgraduate School (1953)

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Aeronautical Engineering (M.S.,Ph.D)(1954,1963)

Employment

• Lieutenant commander, United States Navy (1945-1965)

• Chief of Naval Operations, Pentagon (1960-1964)

• Staff Assistant Director of Research and Engineering, Pentagon (1960-1964)

• Chief of Guidance and Control Division, NASA (1965-1968)

• Program Manager, Polaroid (1968-1975)

• Vice President of Engineering, Polaroid (1975-1985)

• Director, DARPA (1985-Current)

Accomplishments & Achievements

• A member of the National Academy of Engineering

• Awarded the Legion of Merit (1964)

• Awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Medal(1968)

Age

62

Birthplace

Jonesville, Virginia

Aligned Organization

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency