Ernest Levert
Senior staff manufacturing engineer Ernest D. Levert was born on March 14, 1954 in Cleveland, Ohio to parents William and Gertrude Levert. He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and attended Max S. Hayes Vocational High School. As a sophomore, Levert interned with NASA at the John H. Glenn Research Center. He graduated from Max S. Hayes Vocational High School in 1972. After working briefly as a tool and die welder at Club Products in Cleveland, Levert served a tour of duty in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War and attended the U.S. Navy’s Broaden Opportunity for Officers and Selection Training (BOOST) Program. Levert went on to graduate from Ohio State University in 1982 with his B.S. degree in welding engineering, specializing in robotic, laser-beam, and electron-beam welding.
In 1986, Levert joined Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control Division in Dallas, Texas where he worked on projects under NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense such as the Space Shuttle, International Space Station, Multiple Launch Rocket System, and the Army Tactical Missile System. Levert’s division created and implemented the heat rejection system and the photovoltaic radiators for the International Space Station thermal batteries and crew areas for removing excess heat. He also developed a welding system of elbow tubing designed to carry coolant gases in radiators that are part of the Space Station. In 1996, Levert was appointed as the senior staff manufacturing engineer at Lockheed Martin. In this position, Levert continued to work on perplexing problems, like the case in 1996 when his development team ensured that the welding of the rocket motor and warhead of live missiles were secure and tamper-proof for international distribution. Throughout his career, Levert has developed standard policies and processes that provide structural integrity for many Lockheed Martin products. He has also contributed to the following books, BSA Welding Merit Badge Book, American Welding Society Welding Handbook, and Sparking the Future: National Center for Welding Education and Training, published by the Welding Education Center in 2009.
In 2002, Levert became the first African American to serve as president of the American Welding Society. In 2006, he was the first African American elected chairman of Commission IV (Power Beam Processes) of the International Institute of Welding. Levert also became the first African American elected president of the Federation of Material Societies in 2007. He was honored with the Outstanding and Distinguished Alumni Awards from the Ohio State University School of Engineering in 2004 and with the NOVA Award for Outstanding leadership from Lockheed Martin in 2006.
Levert and his wife, Rhonda, have two children: Chantale and Ernest Jr.
Ernest D. Levert was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on January 29, 2013.
A2013.025
Male
1/29/2013
Levert
Married
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The Ohio State University
Max S. Hayes High School
Wilson Junior High School
John D. Rockefeller Elementary School
Ernest
Cleveland
LEV02
Fall
Ohio
Maui, Hawaii
With God in your life and faith in yourself, you can set and achieve your goals no matter what you were told.
Texas
3/14/1954
Dallas
USA
Steak (Rib Eye)
Welding engineer and senior staff manufacturing engineer Ernest D. Levert (1954 -) was the first African American to serve as president of the American Welding Society, as president of the Federation of Material Societies, and as chairman of Commission IV (Power Beam Processes) of the International Institute of Welding.
Lockheed Martin
General Dynamic - Convair Division
Ametek, Straza Division
United States Navy
Black, Red
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25384">Tape: 1 Slating of Ernest Levert's interview</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25385">Tape: 1 Ernest Levert lists his favorites</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25386">Tape: 1 Ernest Levert describes his mother's family background</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25387">Tape: 1 Ernest Levert describes his father's family background</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25388">Tape: 1 Ernest Levert talks about how his parents met</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25389">Tape: 1 Ernest Levert talks about his relation to the O'Jays lead singer, Eddie Levert</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25390">Tape: 1 Ernest Levert describes his parents' personalities and who he takes after</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25391">Tape: 1 Ernest Levert talks about his growing up and his childhood neighborhoods</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25392">Tape: 1 Ernest Levert talks about his childhood influences</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25393">Tape: 2 Ernest Levert describes the sights, sounds, and smells of growing up</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25394">Tape: 2 Ernest Levert talks about his childhood job at Cleveland Stadium</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25395">Tape: 2 Ernest Levert talks about his interest in engineering</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25396">Tape: 2 Ernest Levert talks about his interest in welding</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25397">Tape: 2 Ernest Levert talks about the Hough, Ohio Riots</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25398">Tape: 2 Ernest Levert talks about his high school and his first job at NASA</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25399">Tape: 2 Ernest Levert talks about his mentor, Julian Earls</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25400">Tape: 2 Ernest Levert talks about his favorite movie, "October Sky"</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25401">Tape: 2 Ernest Levert talks about sports in Cleveland, Ohio</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25402">Tape: 3 Ernest Levert talks about the importance of communication skills</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25403">Tape: 3 Ernest Levert talks about Star Trek</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25404">Tape: 3 Ernest Levert talks about his extracurricular activities</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25405">Tape: 3 Ernest Levert talks about his involvement in the Boy Scouts</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25406">Tape: 3 Ernest Levert talks about his experience working at Club Products</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25407">Tape: 3 Ernest Levert talks about his decision to join the U.S. Navy</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25408">Tape: 3 Ernest Levert talks about his experience in the U.S. Navy</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25409">Tape: 4 Ernest Levert talks about his encounters with racism in the U.S. Navy, part 1</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25410">Tape: 4 Ernest Levert talks about his encounters with racism in the U.S. Navy, part 2</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25411">Tape: 4 Ernest Levert talks about his encounters with racism in the U.S. Navy, part 3</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25412">Tape: 4 Ernest Levert talks about his decision to attend The Ohio State University</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25413">Tape: 4 Ernest Levert talks about his experience at The Ohio State University</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25414">Tape: 4 Ernest Levert talks about his internships and summer employment during college</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25415">Tape: 5 Ernest Levert talks about his professors at The Ohio State University</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25416">Tape: 5 Ernest Levert talks about his experience at Ametek Straza</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25417">Tape: 5 Ernest Levert talks about his departure from Ametek Straza</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25418">Tape: 5 Ernest Levert talks about his experience at Geodynamics</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25419">Tape: 5 Ernest Levert talks about joining Lockheed Martin</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25420">Tape: 5 Ernest Levert talks about his work at Lockheed Martin</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25421">Tape: 6 Ernest Levert talks about his projects at Lockheed Martin</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25422">Tape: 6 Ernest Levert talks about his conflicts with management</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25423">Tape: 6 Ernest Levert talks about his NASA projects</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25424">Tape: 6 Ernest Levert talks about the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster and Ronald McNair</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25425">Tape: 6 Ernest Levert shares his advice for aspiring welding engineers</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25426">Tape: 7 Ernest Levert talks about Lockheed Martin</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25427">Tape: 7 Ernest Levert his impact internationally</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25428">Tape: 7 Ernest Levert talks about his hopes and concerns for the African American community</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25429">Tape: 7 Ernest Levert reflects on his life</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25430">Tape: 7 Ernest Levert reflects on his legacy</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25431">Tape: 7 Ernest Levert talks about his family</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25432">Tape: 7 Ernest Levert talks about how he would like to be remembered</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/25433">Tape: 7 Ernest Levert describes his photos</a>