Lonnie Johnson is an innovator, NASA engineer, member of the Air Force and inventor of the wildly popular Super Soaker—among other great inventions. Read on to learn about Johnson’s early passion for engineering and how his natural curiosity has led him to achieve an incredible career that continues to elevate him to new heights.
A curious nature
Born in Mobile, Alabama in 1949 Lonnie Johnson seemed destined for a life that involved the complexities of engineering, technology and science even before his invention of the Super Soaker. Early examples of this natural inclination toward science included reverse engineering one of his sister’s dolls in order to see how the eyes operated and building a go-cart that was powered by the engine of a lawnmower. By the time he was in high school, his aptitude for all things scientific earned him the nickname “The Professor” among his fellow students.
Preview to success
In 1968, Williamson High School was among the entries in a science fair that was sponsored by the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) and held at the University of Alabama, in Tuscaloosa. Representing Williamson High School was Lonnie Johnson, who also happened to be the only Black student in the fair. The project that Johnson submitted for the science fair was “The Linex,” a compressed-air-power robot, which won the first prize.
In addition to science, Johnson was excellent in math, which helped him secure a scholarship to attend Tuskegee University. He received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and then went on to earn a master’s degree in nuclear engineering.
A military career
If Johnson’s academic achievements were impressive, they were only the beginning of greater things to come. Upon graduating from Tuskegee University, he began his professional career at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a multi-program science and technology laboratory sponsored by the US Department of Energy. He also helped in the development of the stealth bomber program when he enlisted with the United States Air Force.
Eventually, Johnson’s talent in engineering and military background brought him to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the late 1970s. Here, he performed double duty as a systems engineer for both the Galileo mission to Jupiter and the Cassini mission to Saturn. Johnson remained with the Air Force until 1987.
The invention of the Super Soaker
In 1982, Johnson was experimenting with the creation of a heat pump that would run on water instead of Freon. He attached some nozzles to his bathroom sink, which, when opened led to a powerful burst of water into his tub. This experiment led to an invention that—after seven years of redesigns and renames—became the world-famous water gun, the Super Soaker. So popular was this new toy, that in 1991 it generated $200 million in sales. In that same year, Johnson founded his own company, Johnson Research and Development Co., Inc. Later, Tuskegee University awarded him an honorary PhD in science in 2001 in recognition of his career achievements.
Johnson Thermoelectric Energy Converter (JTEC)
Another crowning achievement in the life and career of Lonnie Johnson was the creation of a special kind of engine. The purpose of this engine was to convert heat into electricity more efficiently. Upon completion, this engine—the Johnson Thermoelectric Energy Converter (JTEC)—went on to help in the progress of renewable energy and was listed as among the world-changing inventions by Popular Mechanics in 2008. In his ongoing effort to improve revolutionary energy technology, Johnson founded two companies—Excellatron Solid State and Johnson Battery Technologies, Inc.
Lonnie Johnson currently holds more than 100 patents with 20 more pending, many of which are connected to his invention of the Super Soaker and was named by IEEE Spectrum as being “part of a small group of African-American inventors whose work accounts for six percent of all US patent applications.”
The value of curiosity
If there is one constant to the life and career of Lonnie Johnson, it is curiosity. From his childhood when he examined how toys worked to becoming the inventor of the world-famous Super Soaker, to the creation of the JTEC, Johnson was never content to rest on past achievements. His curiosity keeps him seeking, inventing and inspiring.
Are you curious about the intricacies of how things work? This is, in its own right, almost a requirement for anyone who chooses to enter into the study of engineering and technology or aviation—fields which are specialties to Lonnie Johnson. Let Vaughn College help to nurture and feed your curiosity with one of our associate, bachelor’s and master’s programs.
Contact us to learn more.
Photo credit: BBC
March is Women’s History Month, when we recognize and celebrate the lives, contributions and achievements of women who made their marks in history and modern-day society.
In observance of this celebration, Vaughn College is honored to spotlight Bernice “Bee” Falk Haydu, an extraordinary aviation pioneer who paved the way for women pilots and gender equality. Haydu turned 100 years old last December but sadly passed away in January. Read on to learn more about some of the events in her amazing life—from being among the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) in World War II to being awarded with an honorary doctorate degree by Vaughn as we highlight her exemplary career and service for Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day on March 8.
Earning her wings
Born in Montclair, New Jersey on December 15, 1920, Haydu was the younger of two children raised during the Great Depression. Due to financial hardship, Haydu’s parents could not afford to send both children to college. Haydu therefore stayed behind and worked as a secretary while her brother, Lloyd, went on to further his education and later enlisted in the Army Air Force. After realizing that she, too, had a passion for flying, Haydu enrolled at the Newark College of Engineering where she took aviation classes on the weekends. In 1944, she attended the WASP training program in Sweetwater, Texas, where she trained for seven months and logged 210 flight hours flying aircraft that included the Boeing PT-17 Stearman, Vultee BT-13 Valiant, North American AT-6 Texan and the Cessna AT-17 Bobcat. In 1944, Haydu graduated from WASP Class 44-W-7 and served at Pecos Army Airfield as an engineering test pilot as well as utility pilot for the remainder of the WASP program.
History in the making
Haydu’s career as a woman pilot during World War II was nothing short of groundbreaking. As one of the first women to fly military planes, she—along with other women pilots in the WASP program —entered and excelled in a predominantly male field. During that time, the Army needed additional pilots. With 3,000 trained male pilots already on board, the Army began recruiting and training women through the WASP program. These women received the same training as their male counterparts; however, because the program was considered experimental and categorized as a “civil service,” the women could not serve overseas. Instead, Haydu’s job was to “break in” the engines of overhauled planes by flying them a particular way for a specified amount of time. It is believed she earned her nickname, “Bee,” from the way she flew the planes—similar to that of a bumblebee. An interesting side note: On Sundays, she flew chaplains to various fields so they could present their sermons.
Making her mark
The cancelling of the WASP program in 1944 wasn’t the end of Haydu’s career—it was the beginning. After the war, finding work was difficult. Haydu regrouped, however, and in a big way. She earned her Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) rating so she could continue to fly. Her various jobs included flying in a comedy show’s airshow act, opening a Cessna dealership and starting a flight school with other veterans. In 1951, she married Joe Haydu, a fellow aviator with whom she had three children.
Through it all, Haydu remained committed to the Women Airforce Service Pilots organization and her fellow women veterans. From 1975-1978, she served as president of the WASP organization, where she led the fight in Congress to recognize women pilots as veterans—more than 30 years after the end of the war. Her efforts—along with those of her fellow WASPs—came to light when President Jimmy Carter signed the G.I Bill Improvement Act of 1977 into law, which not only recognized the members of WASP as veterans but also allowed the WASP access to Veterans Administration benefits.
Recognizing an aviation pioneer
From a young girl who was born and raised in New Jersey to becoming an aviation pioneer, Haydu has left a trailblazing legacy for women in the aviation industry. She and the WASP organization have paved the way for women to soar to new heights. In 2009, Haydu was one of only three surviving WASPs who were present in the Oval Office when President Barack Obama awarded the WASPs the Congressional Gold Medal for their service. Some of her other awards and recognitions include:
Vaughn honors Haydu with an honorary doctorate degree
Vaughn awarded Haydu with an honorary doctorate degree during a commencement ceremony in 2015. Sharon B. DeVivo, president of Vaughn College, stated:
“Bernice Falk Haydu is an outstanding patriot and it is our pleasure to award her with an honorary doctor of science degree and recognize her service to this country. She also spent her life devoted to aviation and blazed a path for women in this industry, and we are thrilled to salute all of her achievements. WASPs have assured that women pilots everywhere are recognized for their achievements and receive the acknowledgement they deserve.”
Haydu’s later years
Haydu’s husband Joe passed away in 2001. She spent her later years in South Florida and published a memoir in 2003, “Letters Home 1944-1945: Women Airforce Service Pilots, World War II,” which includes letters she wrote home to her mother and brother while serving with WASP during the war years. Bernice “Bee” Falk Haydu’s extraordinary service has earned her a spot of recognition during Women’s History Month.
In her own words
“Bee” may be gone, but her legacy will remain a constant reminder of her commitment to women who hold prominent roles in the military and aviation. Here are some parting words to remember her by:
“Follow your dreams. There may be pitfalls along the way but just pick yourself up, dust yourself off and continue on your way.”
—Bernice “Bee” Falk Haydu
Photo credit: United States Department of Defense
