AUSTIN, Texas — Aerospace engineer Hans Mark, a former University of Texas System chancellor who escaped the Nazis as a boy and then grew up to help put a man on the moon, died Saturday. Mark was 92.
Mark served as a longtime aerospace engineering professor at UT, as well as secretary of the Air Force and deputy administrator of NASA. He worked in Mission Control during the first moon landing and convinced President Ronald Reagan to establish the Space Station program.
Mark also helped turn UT and the entire city of Austin into research powerhouses. He left no question as to the critical importance of exploratory research.
“To explore is an essential part of life, and a great nation has the obligation to explore,” he said.
“Hans was a descendant of a long line of scholarly people through his father, Herman Mark,” said his wife of 70 years, Marion Thorpe “Bun” Mark, referring to the chemist father who received the National Medal of Science from President Jimmy Carter.
“Hans is remembered for his warm support of his students. He was honored for his serious work ethic, modesty, incorruptible character and respect for others. He earned a lot of honors I didn’t even know about.”
