Mr. Kenneth T. Norris Sr.

Mr. Kenneth T. Norris, Sr. was born on July 8, 1899 and faithfully served the Ordnance and industrial communities for over 40 years by manufacturing various types of ordnance materiel.

His contributions to the technology of the movement of metals, particularly as it relates to the manufacture of cartridge cases, projectiles, and rocket motors, represent significant achievements in the production of high-volume conventional ammunition metal components. He was a disciple of design and work simplification to achieve increased product integrity with important labor and material savings. He applied his extraordinary expertise in the cold flow of metals and alloys to develop and produce high-strength, thin-walled pressure vessels in rocket and missile motor bodies. In this area alone, he became the largest individual producer of motor bodies for a wide range of programs, ranging from the 2-inch rocket to the Polaris missile motor.

His intimate knowledge of press-forming, tooling, and metallurgy enabled him to participate directly in the development of new manufacturing techniques of forming alloys previously considered unworkable. He constantly sought methods for more economical production of Department of Defense requirements, and his related suggestions for design revisions resulted in substantial savings for the Government. His personal contributions to the Nation's defense serve as an example of leadership for Government and industry alike. Mr. Norris died on March 24, 1972.