Prof. Donald Schultz

Press, 7 May 1987, Page 39

Prof. Donald Schultz

Professor Donald Lorimer Schultz, an engineer engaged in work of crucial significance to one of Britain’s major industries — aircraft turbines — collapsed and died while walking the Routeburn Track. He was 60. Professor Schultz had returned to New Zealand to lecture at the University of Canterbuiy’s School of Engineering centennial colloquiam on future directions of engineering. The university’s public information officer, Mr Eric Beardsley, described Professor Schultz as one of the school’s most distinguished graduates. He had his secondary education in Hamilton and graduated bachelor of

engineering with firstclass honours from the university in 1950. He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and gained a Ph.D. at Oxford University. After post-doc-toral research he joined the aerodynamics division of the National Physics Laboratory in Britain and worked on problems of high speed and flight travel. He returned to Oxford University as a fellow of St Catherine’s College where he lectured in engineering science and did diverse research. He also applied instrumentation techniques he had developed to the study of cardiovascular fluid dynamics for diagnosing the condition of the heart.

Professor Schultz foresaw the importance of collaboration between universities and industry. He worked closely with RollsRoyce, Ltd, on the development of high-pres-sure turbine engines. By proving how an engine behaved under certain conditions he developed what was known as code validation, enabling RollsRoyce engineers to use the design method without fear of error. He was appointed to a new chair in mechanical engineering at Oxford University in 1984 and became a professorial fellow of St Hugh’s College. He was awarded the 0.8. E. in 1984. Professor Schultz is survived by his wife, three sons and a daughter.