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Editorial M. G. Bekker: Passing of the torch
Journal ofTerramechanics, Vol. 24, No. 2, pp. 125-126, 1987. Printed in Great Britain.
0022--4898/8753.00+0.00 Pergamon Journals Ltd. © 1987 ISTVS
EDITORIAL M. G. BEKKER: PASSING OF THE TORCH TERRAIN-VEHICLEsystems is an esoteric engineering science. There are only 354 hard core practitioners in the world--all members of ISTVS. As with all human endeavors, we must have a leader and one of ours has been Dr Gregory Bekker. He is referred to by many as the "Father of terrain-vehicle systems," by others as Dr Bekker or Professor Bekker and by the few who know him well as Greg. All of these references are accurate reflections of what he has meant to the individuals and the science of terrain-vehicle systems. On 31 August 1987, we opened the 9th International Conference of ISTVS which commemorated the 25th anniversary of the organization of our Society. Dr Bekker was specially recognized at the 9th Congress for his contributions to the field of terrain-vehicle systems and his efforts in helping found our Society. Following the 9th International Conference, Dr Bekker will receive the Doctor Honoris Causa degree from the University of Bologna during its celebration of its 900th anniversary. ISTVS cannot match the University of Bologna in years but, in our 25 years of existence, we have made some major contributions to land locomotion. These contributions are the result of the ingenuity and efforts of many,just as the founding of ISTVS was the result of the inspiration and commitment of Bill Radforth, Jim Murray and Dr Bekker. They recognized the need for a society dedicated to the study and development of terrain-vehicle systems technology and seized upon the opportunity of the Turin Conference to organize ISTVS. They are respectively ISTVS charter members number one through three. But the success of the efforts of many, is often dependent upon the insight and leadership of one and, in many cases, Dr Bekker has been that one in the field of terrain-vehicle systems. His leadership has been profound by example--not always supported by everyone but providing the focus of light within which the truth could be found. I believe Alan Reece in his Journal of Terramechanics review of Dr Bekker's 1969 book, Introduction To Terrain-Vehicle Systems, best characterized Dr Bekker's contribution to terrain-vehicle systems: "The object of the book is to describe the new way of designing the developing advanced products and to show how this new technique applies to all kinds of off-road vehicles, The essence of this technique is the construction of a mathematical model of a machine within its total physical and economic working environment."
Dr Bekker in all of his work insisted that terrain-vehicle systems could be defined physically and mathematically, and that by so doing we would both better understand and be able to better construct mobile off-road machines for the betterment of society. He showed the way, in the early days of terrain-vehicle systems research and engineering, as a torch does on a dark night. Much remains to be done. There are new off-road frontiers to be effectively and economically crossed on earth and on other worlds as well. Man, to fulfil his dreams, must be mobile in a practical economic way. The 25th anniversary of ISTVS is a turning point in the history of our Society. We are seeing the passing of the torch from the generation of the charter members of ISTVS, all of 125
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w h o m a r e n o w o v e r 50 y e a r s o f age. T h e t o r c h m u s t be t a k e n by a new g e n e r a t i o n o f G r e g B e k k e r ' s o r fall to the g r o u n d . Will you reach out y o u r hand? R, D. WISMER President, ISTVS
0022--4898/8753.00+0.00 Pergamon Journals Ltd. © 1987 ISTVS
EDITORIAL M. G. BEKKER: PASSING OF THE TORCH TERRAIN-VEHICLEsystems is an esoteric engineering science. There are only 354 hard core practitioners in the world--all members of ISTVS. As with all human endeavors, we must have a leader and one of ours has been Dr Gregory Bekker. He is referred to by many as the "Father of terrain-vehicle systems," by others as Dr Bekker or Professor Bekker and by the few who know him well as Greg. All of these references are accurate reflections of what he has meant to the individuals and the science of terrain-vehicle systems. On 31 August 1987, we opened the 9th International Conference of ISTVS which commemorated the 25th anniversary of the organization of our Society. Dr Bekker was specially recognized at the 9th Congress for his contributions to the field of terrain-vehicle systems and his efforts in helping found our Society. Following the 9th International Conference, Dr Bekker will receive the Doctor Honoris Causa degree from the University of Bologna during its celebration of its 900th anniversary. ISTVS cannot match the University of Bologna in years but, in our 25 years of existence, we have made some major contributions to land locomotion. These contributions are the result of the ingenuity and efforts of many,just as the founding of ISTVS was the result of the inspiration and commitment of Bill Radforth, Jim Murray and Dr Bekker. They recognized the need for a society dedicated to the study and development of terrain-vehicle systems technology and seized upon the opportunity of the Turin Conference to organize ISTVS. They are respectively ISTVS charter members number one through three. But the success of the efforts of many, is often dependent upon the insight and leadership of one and, in many cases, Dr Bekker has been that one in the field of terrain-vehicle systems. His leadership has been profound by example--not always supported by everyone but providing the focus of light within which the truth could be found. I believe Alan Reece in his Journal of Terramechanics review of Dr Bekker's 1969 book, Introduction To Terrain-Vehicle Systems, best characterized Dr Bekker's contribution to terrain-vehicle systems: "The object of the book is to describe the new way of designing the developing advanced products and to show how this new technique applies to all kinds of off-road vehicles, The essence of this technique is the construction of a mathematical model of a machine within its total physical and economic working environment."
Dr Bekker in all of his work insisted that terrain-vehicle systems could be defined physically and mathematically, and that by so doing we would both better understand and be able to better construct mobile off-road machines for the betterment of society. He showed the way, in the early days of terrain-vehicle systems research and engineering, as a torch does on a dark night. Much remains to be done. There are new off-road frontiers to be effectively and economically crossed on earth and on other worlds as well. Man, to fulfil his dreams, must be mobile in a practical economic way. The 25th anniversary of ISTVS is a turning point in the history of our Society. We are seeing the passing of the torch from the generation of the charter members of ISTVS, all of 125
126
EDITORIAL
w h o m a r e n o w o v e r 50 y e a r s o f age. T h e t o r c h m u s t be t a k e n by a new g e n e r a t i o n o f G r e g B e k k e r ' s o r fall to the g r o u n d . Will you reach out y o u r hand? R, D. WISMER President, ISTVS