Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Paul Minneman

The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was delete. ···日本穣^? · 投稿 · Talk to Nihonjoe · Join WP Japan! 01:28, 4 January 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Paul Minneman

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Prolix biography of an obscure engineer, padded beyond recognition by addition of vast swaths of material on projects in which he played some behind-the-scenes role. Seems to lack any solid assertions of notability and be violative of WP:NOTCONTAGIOUS. Orange Mike | Talk 22:32, 24 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Note: This debate has been included in the list of Aviation-related deletion discussions. The Bushranger _{One ping only} 22:52, 24 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Note: This debate has been included in the list of Military-related deletion discussions. The Bushranger _{One ping only} 22:52, 24 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Note: This debate has been included in the list of People-related deletion discussions. The Bushranger _{One ping only} 22:52, 24 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]

There are perhaps two key questions. One is notability, the second regarding the availability of the verifiable links to corroborate the information supporting notability. This man at age 35 was one of two people who proposed the Minuteman-II missile program to the US defense department, he ran the program that resulted in the 747 that carried and facilitated flight and landing tests for the space shuttle; made the proposal for Boeing that led to one of the first major PRT system in the US at Morgantown WV, and served as the head of systems engineering to design and execute it. If we assume that additional data can be identified to further corroborate these statements, is this series of contributions to aerospace and transportation substantive enough to achieve notability? Note that so many of these 20, 30, 40 and 50+ year-old documents have not been in a readily accessible form, but are now being released and brought online.

Miklminn (talk) 01:49, 25 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]

We also have the problem that he worked for Boeing. Which has been...lax (yeah, we'll go with that) when it comes to preserving company history. - The Bushranger _{One ping only} 20:39, 25 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Delete Few references to establish the notability of this person Nick-D (talk) 22:47, 25 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Additional discussion with Boeing historical personnel indicate that additional historical documents are forthcoming in stages over the next 8 weeks. Miklminn (talk) 00:35, 31 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]
- WP:BIO requires the availability of published works on this person produced by an independent reliable source to establish their notability. Boeing historical documents aren't useful in this regards. Nick-D (talk) 23:24, 31 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Delete. This is clearly written as a tribute article by single-purpose account (likely family member), failing WP:MEMORIAL. As for his notability, his accomplishments seem no different than any other engineer who worked on those projects. -- P 1 9 9 • TALK 16:17, 2 January 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Delete - no reliable sources (as that term is used here) to substantiate notability. Agree that this smacks of a WP:MEMORIAL. ukexpat (talk) 15:16, 3 January 2012 (UTC)[reply]
- clarification - this nomination is by no means meant as disparaging the work done by Minneman and his colleagues. I will quote the chorus of the filksong "Everyman":

For I’m the man who took up tools and laid out the designs

Of starships, I’m the one who built their sleek and burnished lines.

I’m everyman who ever fashioned cold refinéd steel

Into the dreams of spaceflight, I’m the one who made them real.

- I honor their contributions in every appropriate way. --Orange Mike | Talk 15:26, 3 January 2012 (UTC)[reply]

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.