From the AeroVironment's website:

"Paul MacCready was born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1925. During
his adolescence he was a serious model airplane enthusiast who set
many records for experimental craft. At age 16, he soloed in powered
planes. In World War II, he flew in the U.S. Navy flight training
program.

In 1943 MacCready graduated from Hopkins School in New Haven. In 1947
he received his Bachelor of Science in physics from Yale University
(Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi). His interest in flight grew to include
gliders. He won the 1948, 1949 and 1953 U.S. National Soaring
Championships, pioneered high-altitude wave soaring in the United
States, and in 1947 became the first American in 14 years to establish
an international soaring record. He represented the United States at
contests in Europe four times, becoming International Champion in
France in 1956, the first American to achieve this goal."