Yao-Tzu Li or Y. T. Li (; February 1, 1914, Beijing – August 14, 2011) was an American aerodynamicist, businessman, inventor, and mechanical engineer. He was the

professor emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...

in aeronautics and astronautics at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

Biography

In 1934 Li graduated from the school of engineering at Beiping University (北平大學, (different from today's

Peking University Peking University (PKU) is a Public university, public Types of universities and colleges in China#By designated academic emphasis, university in Haidian, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education of the Peop ...

in Beijing, even though ''Beiping'' is the official name for current ''Beijing'' in

Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

era). In 1937 Li graduated from the school of engineering at

National Central University National Central University (; abbreviated NCU; ) is a public research university based in Taiwan. It was founded in 1902 in Nanjing; initially located in Miaoli after moving to Taiwan, it relocated to Zhongli in 1962 and developed into a com ...

(now called

Nanjing University Nanjing University (NJU) is a public university in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. It is affiliated and sponsored by the Ministry of Education. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction. The univers ...

) in

Nanjing Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400. Situated in the Yang ...

, receiving a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

aeronautical engineering Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is s ...

. During the

Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War was fought between the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the Empire of Japan between 1937 and 1945, following a period of war localized to Manchuria that started in 1931. It is considered part ...

, Li, as chief engineer, established the first airplane factory in China – the Dading Airplane Factory (大定飛機製造廠) in Dading, current

Guizhou Province ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_map = Guizhou in China (+all claims hatched).svg , mapsize = 275px , map_alt = Map showing the location of Guizhou Province , map_caption = Map s ...

, Southwestern China. Li also led the building of the first Chinese indigenous

aircraft engine An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Aircraft using power components are referred to as powered flight. Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbin ...

. Li participated in the examination for the

Boxer Rebellion Indemnity Scholarship Program The Boxer Indemnity Scholarship Program was a scholarship program for Chinese students to be educated in the United States, funded by the Boxer Indemnities. On May 25, 1908, the U.S. Congress Senate and House of Representatives passed the Joint ...

, and obtained the same score as

Qian Xuesen Qian Xuesen ( zh, s=钱学森; December 11, 1911October 31, 2009; also spelled as Tsien Hsue-shen) was a Chinese aerospace engineer and cyberneticist who made significant contributions to the field of aerodynamics and established engineering ...

. However, there was only one scholarship awardee and Qian published two or three more articles than Li, so Qian was preferred. Nevertheless, Li went to study in the United States and received master and doctor's degrees from the

. At MIT, Li co-founded the Man-Vehicle Laboratory. Li was also the director of the MIT innovation center. In 1951, Li collaborated with

Charles Stark Draper Charles Stark "Doc" Draper (October 2, 1901 – July 25, 1987) was an American scientist and engineer, known as the "father of inertial navigation". He was the founder and director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Instrumentat ...

and published an article on

optimal control Optimal control theory is a branch of control theory that deals with finding a control for a dynamical system over a period of time such that an objective function is optimized. It has numerous applications in science, engineering and operations ...

, which opened a new field of

automation Automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes, mainly by predetermining decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions, as well as embodying those predeterminations in machine ...

. Li founded several companies including Dynisco,

Setra Systems Setra Systems is an American electronics company that manufactures electronic instruments that measure pressure, acceleration, and weight. The company's products are used chiefly in industrial manufacturing. Setra Systems is a fully owned subsid ...

(co-founded with his brother S. Y. Lee), and Y.T.Li Engineering. Li is also an inventor and has been granted more than 60 US patents. In 1987 Li was elected a member of the

United States National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. It is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), along with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the ...

for "his contributions to innovation in instrumentation, control, and to engineering education'". From 1980 to 1984, Li was the President of the Chinese American Association. Li was an important person involved in the peace dialogue between Beijing and

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

during the 1970s and 1980s. Li delivered

Chiang Ching-kuo Chiang Ching-kuo (, 27 April 1910 – 13 January 1988) was a politician of the Republic of China. The eldest and only biological son of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, he held numerous posts in the government of the Republic of China and ended ...

's personal messages to

Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping also Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Teng Hsiao-p'ing; born Xiansheng (). (22 August 190419 February 1997) was a Chinese statesman, revolutionary, and political theorist who served as the paramount leader of the People's R ...

when Deng was visiting the United States and Hong Kong. The diplomatic relationship between Beijing and Taipei was dramatically softened during the 1980s. Li died on August 14, 2011, at the age of 97.

Publications

* ''Education in Creative Engineering''; Y. T. Li (Ed.); July 1970. * ''Freedom and Enlightenment: My Life As An Educator/Inventor In China and the United States''; by Yao Tzu Li; January 2003. * ''Technological Innovation in Education and Industry''; by Yao Tzu Li; August 1980.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Y. T. 1914 births 2011 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American engineers 20th-century American physicists Aerodynamicists American aerospace businesspeople American aerospace designers American aerospace engineers American chief executives of manufacturing companies American company founders American inventors American manufacturing businesspeople American mechanical engineers Chinese emigrants to the United States Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering MIT School of Engineering alumni MIT School of Engineering faculty Nanjing University alumni Tsien family