A Life Member who joined ASCE in 1945, David Allen Day, P.E., F.ASCE, a construction and excavation expert, has died at 91.
Day served as president of the Colorado Section in 1965 and as editor and chair of the National Construction Division of ASCE.
Born in Ann Arbor, MI, Day earned his bachelor’s degree at Cornell University and his master’s at the University of Illinois. He...
Arthur J. Fox Jr., Pres.1976.ASCE, F.ASCE, among civil engineering’s most influential figures of the 20th century, both at ASCE and as a longtime editor of Engineering News-Record magazine, has died at 92.
“Art was a dear friend and a true American hero,” said ASCE Executive Director Thomas W. Smith III, ENV SP, CAE, F.ASCE. “After serving his country during World War II, he worked tirelessly...
James Richard “Jim” Nichols, P.E., Dist.M.ASCE, longtime leader of the Freese and Nichols consulting firm in Fort Worth, TX, has died at 92.
Nichols joined ASCE in 1949 as an undergraduate student at Texas A&M, and was elected a Distinguished Member in 2004 for his many career achievements.
Nichols worked to provide dependable water supplies for drought-ravaged cities of West Texas. He helped create water districts, raised project...
Orville T. Magoon, Dist.D.CE, Dist.M.ASCE, coastal engineering expert for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the namesake of ASCE’s Orville T. Magoon Sustainable Coasts Award, has died at 87.
Magoon was an early champion of sustainability, specifically pertaining to coastal engineering research, design, construction, and management. He worked for the Corps from 1952 to 1983 before retiring as chief of the Coastal Engineering Branch...
Robert D. Nichol, P.E., Dist.D.PE, Dist.M.ASCE, chairman of the Long Beach, California-based firm of Moffatt & Nichol and its former president and CEO, has died at 84.
In 1975, Nichol became Moffatt & Nichol’s second president, and his vision and leadership expanded the company from a small southern California firm with one office and 50 employees into one of the world’s top maritime and transportation...
Capt. James H. Blanchar, P.E., D.NE, F.ASCE, a Navy veteran and longtime U.S. Army Corps of Engineers leader whose devotion to ASCE’s Coasts, Oceans, Ports and Rivers Institute included a year as president, has died at 77.
Blanchar served as COPRI president from 2007-2008. He remained active in COPRI until his death, serving on its Waterways Committee since 1999 and chairing it in 1999-2000.
The Kentucky...
The Society’s 1991 President, James E. “Tom” Sawyer, P.E., Pres.91.ASCE, an influential bridge designer and infrastructure builder with works from Florida to Hong Kong, has died at 84.
Sawyer joined ASCE in 1956, and was active for years with the Florida Section. He served as ASCE’s president in 1991.
“Tom will be sorely missed by his many friends at ASCE, but his legacy will live on,”...
William B. “Bing” Conway, P.E., L.S., F.ASCE, principal-in-charge for eight award-winning Mississippi River crossing projects, has died. He was 84.
From 1969 to 2007, Conway was a partner in the firm Modjeski and Masters, and served as CEO from 1992 to 2004. He oversaw the Greater New Orleans No. 2 Bridge, which was the second-longest cantilever span in the United States.
Born in Southhampton, NY, and...
Donald V.N. Roberts, P.E., Dist.M.ASCE, who helped integrate sustainable development principles and techniques into engineering education and practice, has died at 87.
Sustainable infrastructure now stands as one of ASCE’s key strategic initiatives, and Roberts was at the forefront of the movement to stress adoption of sustainability by civil engineers. He served as a member of ASCE’s Task Committee on Sustainable Development, which was instrumental...
Elio “D’App” D’Appolonia, Ph.D., P.E., Hon.M.ASCE, NAE, a giant of geotechnical and foundation engineering, has died. He was 97 years old.
A longtime Pittsburgh resident, D'Appolonia started the renowned consulting engineers firm bearing his name in 1956. Employing many of his family members and former students from his time as a faculty member at Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University), the firm grew into a group...
