One month into his career as a faculty member
at the University of Missouri-Rolla, Dr. Harry “Hank" Sauer could almost
feel the sense of urgency in the air. It was October of 1957, and the Soviet
Union had just launched the world’s first satellite, a basketball-sized sphere
known as Sputnik
I.         

The space race was on. “It was a tremendous
shock to find out how far behind we thought we were," recalls Sauer, who is
currently celebrating his 50th year at UMR. “It added impetus to the
developmental type of work and research we were already doing. When Sputnik
came along, we realized we’d better do even
more."         

So when the world recently commemorated the
50th anniversary of a satellite that ushered in a new era of research and
exploration, Sauer was marking a special anniversary of his own. A professor of
mechanical and aerospace engineering, Sauer officially put 50 years at UMR
behind him on Sept. 1,
2007.       

“The years at UMR have always proven to be
interesting, challenging and enjoyable," Sauer says. “Hopefully, they will
continue to be
so."         

In addition to his teaching duties at UMR,
Sauer has served as dean of graduate study and as associate chair of mechanical
engineering. His research has been focused on heat transfer, thermodynamics,
air conditioning and thermophysical properties. He has published more than 150
technical papers and five engineering textbooks. Thousands of young engineering
students have learned the fundamentals and design of air conditioning systems
from one of his books, now in its ninth
edition.         

Sauer has won numerous Faculty Excellence
Awards at UMR. He currently serves on the board of the Missouri Society of
Professional Engineers and on the board of the International Thermal
Conductivity Conferences. In 2003, he was named the Most Distinguished
Scientist by the Missouri Academy of Sciences. In 1999, UMR presented him with
the Alumni Merit Award. Missouri Western State College honored him with its
Distinguished Alumni Award in
1989.         

Sauer received his associate’s degree from
Missouri Western, his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UMR (then the
Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy) and his Ph.D. from Kansas State
University.        

With his wife Pat, Sauer has nine children.
All of the children graduated from either UMR or the University of
Missouri-Columbia. The Sauers have 26 grandchildren living in states from
Florida to Washington.