Area Rule
Richard T. Whitcombe was the NASA aerodynamicist who developed the theory. It was taken up by Convair to modify the unsatisfactory F102 to the F106, first flight in 1955.
John Gavin's team at Grumman used the theory from the beginning of the design phase, and the F11F Tiger first flew in July 1954.
I guess getting it wrong first time, and making a big story of a successful recovery makes you more famous than doing it right the first time.
Apollo 13 is much better known than Apollo 12, landing a stone's throw from a Surveyor unmanned moon lander and bringing back parts of it.