William August Schulze facts for kids

William August Schulze (born November 23, 1905 – died November 4, 2001) was a German-American rocket scientist. He was part of a special program called Operation Paperclip. This program brought German scientists to the United States after World War II. William Schulze helped create many German rockets. He was one of the first seven scientists from Operation Paperclip to come to the U.S. Here, he helped lead the important PGM-11 Redstone rocket program.

Early Life and Education

William Schulze grew up in a small village called Neu Laubusch in Germany. His parents, Matthes and Marie Kopf Schulze, were farmers. When he was young, William went to a school run by a coal-mining company.

At just 14 years old, William started working. He made mechanical drawings for the company. Two years later, he began training to be a mechanic. He worked hard and became a foreman. After his training, William moved to Berlin. He went to high school classes at night. During the day, he worked at a company called Knorr-Bremse.

William then went to college for four years. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering. He kept working at Knorr-Bremse while he studied. In Berlin, he met and married his wife, Gertrud Meischeider.

Building Rockets in Germany

After college, William Schulze first designed medical equipment. Then, he returned to Knorr-Bremse as an engineer. On February 1, 1936, he started a new job at Kummersdorf. He worked with famous rocket scientists like Wernher von Braun and Walter Dornberger.

In 1937, William moved to the Peenemünde Army Research Center. This was a very important place for rocket development. By 1939, he became the chief of the Propulsion Unit. This meant he was in charge of how rockets moved. He held this job until 1945. At Peenemünde, he worked on the engines and designs for several rockets. These included the A-5, the A-4 (also known as the V-2 rocket), and the A-9 rockets.

Moving to the United States

After World War II ended, American and English officials questioned William Schulze. This happened at a special camp in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Out of 500 scientists at the camp, 118 were chosen for contracts with the United States. William Schulze was one of them. This was part of Operation Paperclip.

William Schulze was also one of the very first seven scientists to travel to the U.S. in this program. He arrived at Fort Strong on September 29, 1945. Most of the scientists, including William, then went to Aberdeen Proving Ground. There, they helped translate and organize 14 tons of documents about the V-2 rocket.

By 1946, William Schulze was working at Fort Bliss as an Operation Paperclip scientist. He later moved to Alabama. He became a U.S. citizen in Birmingham on November 11, 1954. In Alabama, he worked at the Army Ballistic Missile Agency. He was the chief of the Mechanical Design Section. He was praised for his leadership on the PGM-11 Redstone rocket program.

Later, William Schulze moved to the new Marshall Space Flight Center. By 1969, he was working in the Propulsion and Vehicle Engineering Lab. He retired later that same year.

Legacy and Recognition

In 2002, William Schulze's hometown honored him. They created a special air mail envelope and a stamp with his picture on them. This recognized his important work as a rocket scientist.