An Appreciation of the Life and Work of William C. Reynolds (1933–2004)

Abstract

Bill Reynolds was a remarkably creative scientist who combined a natural curiosity with enormous energy to make significant contributions to fluid mechanics research. In this article, we combine our own recollections with those of many others to capture the aspects of Bill's personality and sense of humor that made him the irrepressible person that he was. We discuss his works on turbulent flow and touch on others that illustrate the wide range of his interests. We survey his involvement in education through classroom teaching and mentoring of research students, and his lifelong support of the Division of Fluid Dynamics of the American Physical Society. And we cover his many contributions during his long career at Stanford University, where he spent his entire working life, especially his seminal role with the Center for Turbulence Research.