In Memoriam: Jack R. Vinson

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 18, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at R.T. Foard and Jones, Inc., in Newark. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at St. Thomas's Episcopal Church in Newark.

Jack R. Vinson, H. Fletcher Brown Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering and co-founder of the Center for Composite Materials (CCM) at the University of Delaware, died on Oct. 8, 2025. He was 95.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Vinson made seminal contributions to the understanding of composite structures, particularly curved shapes known as shells and "sandwich" structures, which combine strong outer layers with a lighter core. He also studied how these materials respond under extreme forces, such as impacts and explosions.

A vision for composites

"What truly set Jack apart from others was his vision about the potential of composites," said Suresh Advani, the Unidel Pierre S. du Pont Chair of Engineering and a longtime colleague of Dr. Vinson's. "In 1973, he envisioned a place he called 'an academic sandbox,' to which people could bring their own toys and play."

That vision became a reality the following year. Dr. Vinson and co-founders Tsu-Wei Chou, Roy McCullough and R. Byron Pipes established a center of excellence for composite materials research and education. Dr. Vinson served as CCM's first director from 1974 to 1978. The center, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, quickly grew to become a global leader in composites research.