Dr. Jack R. Vinson, PhD

November 10, 1929 – October 8, 2025

Dr. Jack R. Vinson, PhD, age 95, passed away peacefully on October 8, 2025. Born on November 10, 1929, in Kansas City, Missouri, he was the cherished son of the late Harry R. Vinson and Myrtle (née Kiple).

Professor Vinson’s lifelong dedication to engineering excellence profoundly shaped the international composites community. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, followed by a Rotary International Fellowship at the University of Cambridge in England, where he studied Theory of Structures and Advanced Strength of Materials. He later completed his PhD in Engineering Mechanics at the University of Pennsylvania.

Before joining the University of Delaware, Dr. Vinson served as an officer at the Aeronautical Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and worked at the General Electric Missile and Space Division on early intercontinental ballistic missile and satellite systems. He then became Vice President and Senior Scientist at Dyna/Structures, Inc., where he consulted on the Minuteman ICBM, before transitioning to academia.

In 1964, Professor Vinson joined the University of Delaware’s College of Engineering as an Associate Professor and went on to become the H. Fletcher Brown Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He served as Chairman of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department from 1965 to 1979 and was a co-founder and the first Director of the UD Center for Composite Materials from 1974 to 1978. He also developed and taught one of the first courses in the United States on composite materials in the late 1960s. Upon his retirement in 2005, he was named Professor Emeritus and continued to teach four graduate courses via long-distance learning while mentoring students around the world.

A prolific scholar, Professor Vinson authored eight textbooks and over 400 publications on composite, sandwich, and thin-walled structures, as well as the high-strain-rate response of materials. He founded the Journal of Sandwich Structures and Materials and served as its Editor-in-Chief for more than two decades, fostering collaboration and advancing research within the field.

His distinguished career earned him numerous honors, including the AIAA Award in Structural Mechanics (1977), the ASME Centennial Medal (1981), the ASC Technomic Award (1998), the ASC National Distinguished Research Award (2007), and the Medal of Excellence in Composite Materials (2021). He also served as President of the American Society for Composites (1998–1999), Co-Chair of the Sixth International Conference on Sandwich Constructions (2003), and was recognized as a Life Fellow of ASME, and Fellow of both AIAA and ASC.

Personal Life and Interests

As driven as he was for his career, Jack was more dedicated to his family. He was the consummate Husband, Father, and Dad.  When his wife, Trudy, decided to obtain her college degree while raising four sons with him, he studied Art History with her and helped her prepare for each assignment and exam.  His children always knew that Dad would be there supporting them at each of their endeavors.  He coached Little League teams, was a timer at swim meets, advised on science projects, taught problem-solving for homework on any subject, attended each school presentation and production, and was Sunday School teacher and youth sponsor at church.  He often commented on how proud he was that two of his sons were able to take engineering courses he taught at UD.

Dr. Vinson will be remembered not only for his professional achievements but also for being steadfastly supportive and proud of his family. He had a quick, dry sense of humor and was a master at fashioning delightful plays-on-words, a trait that his children continue, and has been passed along to their children and grandchildren. Jack and his mother spent many hours collecting coins and stamps; he kept up with these hobbies throughout his life. Being an only child, Jack created many intricate games and challenges for himself, including a method to explore and learn all about Kansas City landmarks, businesses, and neighborhoods.  He was a natural leader, serving in a myriad of capacities in high school, JROTC, student committees and commissions at both Cambridge and Cornell universities, The Rotary Club, and in the Episcopal Church at each stop along his life’s journey. He found incredible joy whenever a family member, friend, or student blossomed as a person, whether in their career, sports, academia, or their religion. Those who knew him best will forever remember his full-bodied laugh that filled the room.  Jack was eternally optimistic and encouraging.  He had a kind greeting and a smile for everyone he met.  Jack, indeed, was the epitome of a true gentleman and scholar.

We are sure that as Jack continues to watch over us from heaven, he will always assure us with the comforting mantra he used whenever asked how he was doing:

“All’s well here!”

Family

Dr. Vinson was preceded in death by his first wife, Trudy H. Vinson, and his second wife, Mildred “Midge” Vinson. He is survived by his children: Jack R. Vinson, Jr., Stephen (Tiger) S. Vinson, Jeffrey A. Vinson, Christopher L. Vinson, Neal A. Shore, Monica G. Kalish (née Shore), and Fred E. Shore; twelve grandchildren, fifteen great-grandchildren; his supportive companion in his final years, Mary Lewis, and numerous extended family members, colleagues, and friends whose lives were touched by his mentorship and generosity.

Service Information

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. (family at 4:30 p.m.) at R.T. Foard & Jones Funeral Home, 122 West Main Street, Newark, Delaware.

A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 276 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware, with burial to follow at Head of Christiana Cemetery.

Memorial Contributions

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in memory of Jack to the Jack R. Vinson Scholarship Fund at the University of Delaware, helping to enrich the lives and education of future mechanical engineering students — a lasting tribute to his passion for learning and innovation.

Please send contributions to: University of Delaware, Gifts Processing, 83 E. Main St., 3rd Fl., Newark, DE 19716.  Make checks payable to: ‘University of Delaware’ and include on the memo line “Jack Vinson Memorial Scholarship”.

Gifts can also be made on the University of Delaware’s secure website, https://ud.alumniq.com/giving/to/26WBD.