Richard H. Stanley, former longtime chairman of Iowa-based Stanley Consultants who leveraged the success of his family engineering firm to help launch and lead a foundation that continues to strive for global harmony, has died at 85.
Stanley, P.E., F.ASCE, followed his father into a business that began in 1913 and is now ranked 72nd among the nation’s top 500 design firms by Engineering News-Record. He joined as a design engineer in 1955 after receiving degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering from Iowa State University. He was elected president in 1971 and served as chairman from 1984 until 2007, when he became chairman emeritus. He retired in 2013.
It was through the Stanley Foundation that he also devoted himself to creating a more harmonious world. He was a supporter and constructive critic of the United Nations and continuously sought opportunities to promote multilateral solutions to international issues. He was a frequent chair and participant at conferences on world affairs and global issues.
Stanley joined ASCE in 1963. As an engineer, he provided leadership, wrote numerous articles and papers for professional and technical journals, and presented often at professional and technical meetings. He was also a retired vice chair of the board of the HNI Corporation.
In his hometown of Muscatine, IA, Stanley served as director of Unity HealthCare and was president of the Muscatine Health Support Foundation. He was known for his love of singing in his church choir.
