David G. Hull

He was born on March 27, 1937, in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, to Jack Hull and Elizabeth (Bette) Carstensen Hull.

David graduated from Proviso High School in the Chicago suburb of Maywood and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University, a master’s degree from the University of Washington—while also working at The Boeing Company—and a Ph.D. from Rice University.

David spent nearly 50 years as a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. In addition to teaching and mentoring students, he contributed extensively to his field through research, publications, and the writing of two textbooks. His research focused on the application of flight mechanics and optimization to the determination of optimal trajectories and guidance laws for aerospace vehicles. In addition, he held several research appointments at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, continuing his engagement with applied research.

David also served the profession as Associate Editor of the Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications for more than 30 years and was named Editor-in-Chief in 2010, serving in this role through 2019. David was a Professor Emeritus and received numerous awards for teaching and research, including the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Departmental Teaching Award and Faculty Excellence Award and the AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Conference Best Paper Award. He was named a Fellow of the American Astronautical Society in 2005 and held the M.J. Thompson Regents Professorship in Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin.

Learning was central to David’s life, not only as a teacher but as a lifelong student. He was deeply curious and always sought to understand how things worked, approaching every new interest with the same discipline and care he brought to his academic work. There was little he believed he could not learn to do, from building a cabin to installing electricity and plumbing, operating farm equipment, building fences, growing hay, and coaching youth soccer. He was self-sufficient, capable, and took pride in learning how to do things well.

David married Vicki Poole on June 30, 1983. They had two daughters, Kate and Emily. David was a devoted husband and father and was always present for his family, making weeknight family dinners a priority. He and Vicki took great pride in attending every school program, Girl Scout event, soccer game, and award ceremony in which Kate and Emily participated. He also enjoyed spending time with his sons and grandchildren, and attending their school and sports events. David and Vicki loved taking family vacations, visiting national parks, caves, and ruins in the southwestern United States, camping, hiking, country-western dancing, and spending time at their land in Burnet County.

David also had a lifelong love of ranching which began while spending summers in elementary school working on a ranch in King City, California. He owned and worked a 175-acre ranch in Burnet County, Texas, and took great pride and enjoyment in maintaining the property. David was an avid reader, enjoying Western novels. He also enjoyed John Wayne films, along with most Westerns, and the television series Gunsmoke.

An athlete throughout his life, David played baseball as a teenager, pitching for his Proviso High School team in Chicago. He later went on to pitch for the Purdue Boilermakers baseball team and played minor league ball during his summers in college. David was also the second man to become the Purdue mascot, Purdue Pete. As an adult, he was a member of a city league softball team called the Flounders and played with them for many years as their third baseman. He was known for his strong and fast throws to first base—so fast that the pitcher often hit the ground in anticipation.

David is survived by his wife of 42 years, Vicki Poole Hull; daughter Kate Hull Romero and her husband, Rolando Romero; daughter Emily Hull Simpson; sons David Hull, Jr., Andrew Hull, and Matthew Hull; grandchildren Lilly Simpson, Sebastian Romero, Oliver Romero, Jacob Hull, and Reese Hull; brother-in-law Steve Poole, and nephew Cody Poole.

David was preceded in death by his father Jack Hull, mother Elizabeth (Bette) Carstensen Hull Meyer, step-father Howard Meyer, and brother Robert (Bob) Meyer.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 31, at 4:00 p.m. at Journey Imperfect Faith Community, 7500 Woodrow Ave., Austin, TX 78757. Denim and flannel attire are encouraged. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, in honor of David G. Hull.

The family wishes to thank the care team at The Pavilion at Great Hills and Nurse Traci and the entire team at Summit Hospice, for their compassionate and dedicated care of David and his family.