Luis de Florez Luis de Florez ( March 4 , 1889 - November , 1962 ) was a naval aviator and a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy that was actively involved in experimental aerospace development projects for the United States Government . As both an active duty and a retired U . S . Navy admiral , de Florez was influential in the development of early flight simulators , and was a pioneer in the use of " virtual reality " to simulate flight and combat situations in World War II . Biography . Luis de Florez was from New York City . De Florez attended MIT , and graduated in 1911 with a B . S . in Mechanical Engineering . He wrote his thesis on the subject of an aircraft problem , titled " Thrust of Propellers in Flight . " The " Admiral DeFlores Design and Innovation Award " is named after him , and his son , Peter de Florez , who was an MIT professor , established a $ 500 , 000 fund to foster and encourage activities related to humor at MIT . The de Florez Prize in Human Engineering was established in 1964 at his bequest . De Florez worked in the United States Navy as a career officer in World War I . He worked in the aviation section of the Navy and also on the development of refinery technology . In the 1930s , De Florez also worked as an engineering consultant for various oil companies . His name is on several patents , including a 1918 U . S . patent ( # 1 , 264 , 374 ) for a " Liquid prism device " with rigid closed sides which included a system for varying the density of a medium filling the prism and thereby varying the refraction of light waves passing through the prism , and a 1930 Canadian patent for the " cracking and distillation of hydrocarbon oils " . During World War II , he gave up his business to help solve the Navy ' s training problems . World War II . In 1941 , then Commander de Florez visited the United Kingdom and wrote what would become an influential report on British aircraft simulator techniques . It influenced the establishing of the Special Devices Division of the Navy ' s Bureau of Aeronautics ( what would later become the NAWCTSD ) . Later that year , Commander de Florez became head of the new Special Devices Desk in the Engineering Division of the Navy ’ s Bureau of Aeronautics . De Florez championed the use of " synthetic training devices " and urged the Navy to undertake development of such devices to increase readiness . He also worked on the development of antisubmarine devices . De Florez has been credted with over sixty inventions . During World War II , he was subsequently promoted to captain and then to Flag rank , becoming a rear admiral in 1944 . In 1944 , de Florez was awarded the Robert J . Collier Trophy for 1943 for his work in training combat pilots and flight crews through the development of inexpensive synthetic devices . De Florez was awarded with the Legion of Merit in June 1945 . Post - war . In 1946 , Tufts University awarded de Florez an honorary Doctor of Science degree at commencement . Admiral de Florez was the first director of technical research at the CIA . In 1950 , de Florez helped Robert Fulton get a contract with the Office of Naval Research to develop the Fulton surface - to - air recovery system . In 1954 , as the CIA ' s chairman of research , de Florez argued against reprimanding those responsible for the then - secret but now controversial MKULTRA L . S . D . research program . In the mid - 1950s , de Florez was the president of the Flight Safety Foundation . Presented since 1966 , the Foundation ' s " Admiral Luis de Florez Flight Safety Award " is named after him . It recognizes “ outstanding individual contributions to aviation safety , through basic design , device or practice . ” De Florez established a trust to support the award that provides each recipient with $ 1 , 000 . De Florez worked as an aide to Navy Vice Admiral Bowen , Director of ORI ( later named ONR ) in the 1970s . He also once served as a director of Douglas Aircraft Corp . Luis de Florez died in November 1962 , at the age of 73 in the cockpit of his airplane , which was ready for take - off at a Connecticut airport . The main building complex at the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division , Naval Support Activity Orlando , Florida , is named in his honor .