Johnston, Samuel Paul

American Engineer. S. Paul Johnston was director of the Institute for Aeronautical Sciences. He was also a member of the Purcell Panel that assessed space flight capabilities for the U.S. government in 1957-1958.

Johnston, a former World War I Army aviator, MIT graduate and engineer, edited Aviation Week magazine from 1930 to 1940. Following World War II service in the Naval Air Transport Service, he became the IAS Executive Director in April, 1946. He led the IAS in its development as a key provider of aeronautical reference material up to its merger with the ARS to form the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1963. He served as the director of the AIAA until his reitrment in 1964. Thereafter he was the Director of the National Air Museum.