CHAPTER VI 



Dahlgren's First Director of 

 Research 



Dr. Charles C. Bramble 



In 1912, Dr. Bramble received a PhB degree from Dickinson College. He was 

 awarded an AM in mathematics in 1913 by Dickinson and received a PhD from 

 Johns Hopkins in 1917. Dickinson later presented him with an Honorary 

 Doctor of Science degree in 1948. 



Dr. Bramble was appointed Assistant Professor of Mathematics and 

 Mechanics at the Postgraduate School of the U.S. Naval Academy in 1919 and 

 eventually became Senior Professor of Mathematics and Mechanics. 



Dr. Bramble came to the Naval Proving Ground, Dahlgren, in 1942 as Head 

 of the Exterior Ballistics Section. At that time, he was sharing his time with 

 Dahlgren while still maintaining a teaching position at the Naval Academy. Dr. 

 Bramble was employed full time at Dahlgren in 1947 when he was appointed 

 Head of the Computation and Ballistics Department. 



In 1951, Dr. Bramble was selected as Dahlgren's first Director of Research. 

 He held that position until his retirement in January 1954. 



The following interview was conducted by Cynthia Rouse in Dr. Bramble's 

 home in Annapolis, Maryland, on January 31, 1977. 



You had contacts at Dahlgren beginning in the early 1920's. What was your connection 

 there then? 



My first contact with Dahlgren was in 1924. In those days, there was no bridge 

 across the Potomac. I used to call up, and they'd send a boat over to Morgan- 

 town, Maryland, for me. When I came down, it was just for general interest in 

 ordnance problems while I was teaching ordnance courses at the Naval Post- 

 graduate School. The courses included ballistics and gun design, both exterior 

 and interior ballistics. 



Naturally I was interested in the current problems in those areas, so periodi- 

 cally I would get in touch with Dr. Thompson, who was at that time the Senior 



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