Distinguished Member Omer W. Blodgett, whose books on design for welding are considered to form the foundation of the entire field, died Jan. 11 at 99.
Blodgett, P.E., Dist.M.ASCE, was a design consultant and mechanical engineer at Lincoln Electric Co., in Cleveland, for more than 60 years. He was known internationally as an expert in the design of welded connections and was influential in development of standards to the code of the American Welding Society.
In 1999, Engineering News-Record recognized Blodgett as one of the top 125 engineers of the previous 125 years.
He was the author of several significant papers on sizing welds, control of distortion, brittle facture, and fatigue. Two of his books, Design of Welded Structures and Design of Weldments, though written decades ago, remain highly regarded.
Among his many awards, Blodgett received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Institute of Steel and the T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree from LeTourneau University.
