Below I have listed a few people who are or were very influential in their industry. I picked these people because they all did something that appealed to me.
Frank Whittle – his designs produced the world’s first jet engine during the 1930′s, with the first flights taking place at the end of the Second World War. This led to him being known as “the father of jet propulsion”.
Bill Nye – scientist, engineer, comedian, author, and inventor, is a man with a mission: to help foster a scientifically literate society, to help people everywhere understand and appreciate the science that makes our world work. Making science entertaining and accessible is something Bill has been working at for a long time. Bill’s fascination with how things work led him to Cornell University and a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Calvin Mackie - A lifelong resident of New Orleans, Calvin Mackie graduated from high school barely able to read and with SAT scores requiring him to undertake special remedial classes before he was admitted to Morehouse College. He completed his degree in Mathematics, graduating Magna Cum Laude and as a member of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society. He was simultaneously awarded a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech, where he later earned his Ph.D.
Mackie continues in his role as Managing Partner of Channel ZerO Group LLC, an educational and motivational consulting company he co-founded in 1992.
While the last person does not have an engineering degree he is an engineer and does things just like any engineer would.
Ronnie Barrett – is an American firearms manufacturer, the founder of Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, and the designer of the first .50 caliber rifle for civilian use.
Barrett was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee in 1954, and graduated from Murfreesboro Central High School. He started his career in 1972 as a professional photographer. In 1982, while he owned a photography studio, he got his initial inspiration to create what would become the Barrett signature product. On January 1, 1982, when Barrett was photographing a river patrol gunboat on the Stones River near Nashville, Tennessee, he created an award-winning picture that made him start thinking about the .50 caliber cartridge because of two Browning machineguns mounted prominently on that boat.
Since no commercially available .50 caliber rifle existed at that time, he decided to make a semi-automatic weapon. With no background in manufacturing or engineering, Barrett sketched a cross-sectioned, full-size rifle, adding different components to it.
Bill Nye extended bio which really surprised me.
William Sanford Nye (born November 27, 1955 in Washington, D.C.) also known as “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” is an American comedian, television host, science educator and mechanical engineer. Nye began his career at Boeing where, among other things, he starred in training films and developed a hydraulic pressure resonance suppressor still used in the Boeing 747. Later, he worked as a consultant and in the aeronautics industry. Nye was also a member and fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.William Sanford Nye (born November 27, 1955 in Washington, D.C.) also known as “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” is an American comedian, television host, science educator and mechanical engineer. Nye began his career at Boeing where, among other things, he starred in training films and developed a hydraulic pressure resonance suppressor still used in the Boeing 747. Later, he worked as a consultant and in the aeronautics industry. Nye was also a member and fellow of the Committee for Skeptical InquiryWilliam Sanford Nye (born November 27, 1955 in Washington, D.C.) also known as “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” is an American comedian, television host, science educator and mechanical engineer. Nye began his career at Boeing where, among other things, he starred in training films and developed a hydraulic pressure resonance suppressor still used in the Boeing 747. Later, he worked as a consultant and in the aeronautics industry. Nye was also a member and fellow of the Committee for Skeptical InquiryWilliam Sanford Nye (born November 27, 1955 in Washington, D.C.) also known as “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” is an American comedian, television host, science educator and mechanical engineer. Nye began his career at Boeing where, among other things, he starred in training films and developed a hydraulic pressure resonance suppressor still used in the Boeing 747. Later, he worked as a consultant and in the aeronautics industry. Nye was also a member and fellow of the Committee for Skeptical InquiryWilliam Sanford Nye (born November 27, 1955 in Washington, D.C.) also known as “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” is an American comedian, television host, science educator and mechanical engineer. Nye began his career at Boeing where, among other things, he starred in training films and developed a hydraulic pressure resonance suppressor still used in the Boeing 747. Later, he worked as a consultant and in the aeronautics industry. Nye was also a member and fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
