Rockwell, Boeing and Gang Play Musical Chairmanships

It plays out a little bit like the classic “Who’s on First?” routine by comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello., but here goes:

Rockwell International Inc. and Lockheed Martin Corp. used to be joint partners in an operation called the United Space Alliance, which has the contract to operate the space shuttle program for NASA.

But Rockwell sold its aerospace and defense operations to Boeing Co., which formed them into a new business unit called Boeing North American Inc., which is headquartered at the former Rockwell International corporate offices in Seal Beach. Rockwell is still based there too, but will be moving soon to Costa Mesa.

Kent Black, who was Rockwell’s chief operating officer and a 34-year veteran of the company, became chief executive of the United Space Alliance in Houston in 1995. Now Black is retiring. He’ll be replaced on April 1 by Paul Smith, most recently president of the Canoga Park-based Rocketdyne division of Boeing North American--formerly the Rocketdyne division of Rockwell. Smith was with Rockwell for 32 years.

Meanwhile, Boeing is processing its merger with McDonnell Douglas Corp., whose space operation is headquartered in Huntington Beach and is expected to become part of Boeing North American once the Boeing-McDonnell Douglas deal is done later this year.

To ramrod the merger, Boeing has tabbed Denton R. Hanford, who has been president of United Space Alliance since late last year but will be leaving Houston next month and heading back to Seattle. Before going to United Space, Hanford led the Boeing-Rockwell merger team.

Got it?

*

John O’Dell covers major Orange County corporations and manufacturing for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-5831 and at john.odell@latimes.com.