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This is the 27th volume of Memorial Tributes compiled by the National Academy of Engineering as a personal remembrance of the lives and outstanding achievements of its members and international members. These volumes are intended to stand as an enduring record of the many contributions of engineers and engineering to the benefit of humankind. In most cases, the authors of the tributes are contemporaries or colleagues who had personal knowledge of the interests and the engineering accomplishments of the deceased. Through its members and international members, the Academy carries ...
This is the 27th volume of Memorial Tributes compiled by the National Academy of Engineering as a personal remembrance of the lives and outstanding achievements of its members and international members. These volumes are intended to stand as an enduring record of the many contributions of engineers and engineering to the benefit of humankind. In most cases, the authors of the tributes are contemporaries or colleagues who had personal knowledge of the interests and the engineering accomplishments of the deceased. Through its members and international members, the Academy carries out the responsibilities for which it was established in 1964.
Under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering was formed as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. Members are elected on the basis of significant contributions to engineering theory and practice and to the literature of engineering or on the basis of demonstrated unusual accomplishments in the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology. The National Academies share a responsibility to advise the federal government on matters of science and technology. The expertise and credibility that the National Academy of Engineering brings to that task stem directly from the abilities, interests, and achievements of our members and international members, our colleagues and friends, whose special gifts we remember in this book.
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BY EDWARD LANPHIER SUBMITTED BY THE NAE HOME SECRETARY
ROBERT CARR LANPHIER III passed away on Dec. 30, 2023, in Springfield, Illinois, at the age of 91, although his home and his heart were at Glen Lake in Glen Arbor, Michigan. He lived a rich and fascinating life and leaves an adoring and inspired family.
He was born on Nov. 13, 1932, in London, England. His parents, Robert C. Jr. and Mary Catherine, were from Springfield. The family returned to the United States in August of 1939.
He attended elementary school at Highgate School for Boys (Highgate, U.K.), then at Arnold School and Butler Grade School in Springfield. He spent one year at Springfield High School before attending the Choate School in Wallingford, Connecticut. Upon graduation, he spent a post-graduate year at the Harrow School outside London before attending Yale University, where he earned degrees in mathematics, electrical engineering, and industrial administration. In 1956 he joined the General Electric Co. and their Manufacturing Training Program before returning to Springfield, where he joined the Sangamo Electric Co., a firm founded by his grandfather. He left Sangamo in 1967 to join a start-up company, DICKEY-john Corporation, as chief executive officer. The company designed, built, marketed, and sold electronic agricultural instrumentation to farmers and farm equipment partners. By the time of his retirement, DICKEY-john had over 1,000 employees and was one of the largest employers in the state of Illinois.
Bob was honored to be elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1993 and served as chairman of a number of business-related organizations, including the Farm and Industrial Equipment Institute, the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, and the Future Farmers of America. He served on advisory boards for the Engineering College, the Agricultural College, and the Finance College at the University of Illinois. He also served on the board of directors of Memorial Medical Center in Springfield for 28 years, including as chairman of the board.
Two of his most enjoyable pursuits were the “learning experiences” he organized for his grandchildren and his annual “college tour,” where he visited each of his collegiate grandchildren. He would send them provocative questions before his visits and was fascinated to see how these young people thought about and reasoned through challenging topics. “Gramps,” as his grandchildren called him, was incredibly proud of all of them. These, plus the extensive time that he spent at his family home on Glen Lake, made his life full of exceptional experiences.
Bob is survived by his loving partner, Shelley Walter; many fabulous children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; his sister, Mary L. Collins (Roger Collins); and numerous nieces and nephews.