The Grainger College of Engineering

Fred B. Seely

Fred B. Seely
Fred B. Seely
To Fred B. Seely, engineer, educator, administrator, for his lasting contributions to the enrichment of the permanent literature of engineering, for his unique ability to stimulate the development of the creative talents of his students, and for his early recognition of the need for injecting the theoretical viewpoint in the practice of engineering.

Professor and Head of Department, Emeritus, Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois

  • MS, Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, 1915

Mr. Seely joined the Department in 1909 as instructor, rose through all ranks to professor, and became head of the Department in 1934, a position he held until he retired in 1952. He made lasting contributions, in three widely used textbooks, to the enrichment of engineering education; in all writings and research he always emphasized the broader theoretical perspective of engineering. Through his stimulating teaching and his administrative leadership, he developed the creative talents of his students and staff.

For his outstanding work he was awarded the Worcester Reed Warner Medal in 1949 by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for lasting contributions to engineering literature, the Lamme Medal (1950) by the American Society for Engineering Education, and the Robert H. Goddard Award by the Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Current as of 1966.