Artificial intelligence (AI) policy: ASHRAE prohibits the entry of content from any ASHRAE publication or related ASHRAE intellectual property (IP) into any AI tool, including but not limited to ChatGPT. Additionally, creating derivative works of ASHRAE IP using AI is also prohibited without express written permission from ASHRAE.

Close
logoShaping Tomorrow's Built Environment Today

Hall of Fame Members

Share This

This award honors deceased members who have made milestone contributions to the growth of ASHRAE-related technology. Individuals inducted into the Hall of Fame must have been an ASHRAE member (any grade) or a member of a predecessor Society and must have shown evidence of distinction in the Society, either technically or academically.


F. Paul Anderson
1867–1934

FPaul_Anderson.jpg

F. Paul Anderson graduated from Purdue University in 1890 and received a Professional Mechanical Engineer degree in 1894. In 1891, he was appointed Professor and Dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering at A&M College of Kentucky, located in Lexington. He was a scholar as well as a noted engineer. He devoted his life to building a notable College of Engineering, and under his leadership, it became one of the top schools in the nation. In 1921, Professor Anderson was appointed Director of Research of the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He recruited many of his best students and faculty members to work at the laboratory, and during his tenure, 62 scientific papers on heating, ventilating and air conditioning were published. The most important studies were those directed toward developing a comfort zone of atmosphere. In 1927, Professor Anderson was elected President of ASHVE as a result of his contributions to the Society. When ASHVE initiated an award in 1930 for the person who had made the greatest contribution to the field of heating and ventilation, the award was named after F. Paul Anderson who, in the words of Thornton Lewis, then President of ASHVE, 'had directed the education of more engineers engaged in the heating and ventilating profession than any other man in the world.' F. Paul Anderson was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame on June 25, 1994 at the Society's 1994 Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.


Carlyle Martin Ashley
1899–1993

Carlyle_Ashley.jpg

Carlyle Martin Ashley received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University in 1924. After graduation, he joined the Carrier Corporation and worked there until his retirement in 1967. Mr. Ashley was recognized as an authority in both refrigeration and air conditioning engineering fields and was responsible for 63 patents. In addition, he authored 16 papers and 10 articles. Mr. Ashley served as President of ASRE in 1956-57, was an ASHRAE Fellow, and a member of Tau Beta Pi. He was listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in Engineering and American Men of Science. The ASHRAE-Alco Medal for Distinguished Public Service was conferred upon Mr. Ashley in 1971, and he received ASHRAE's Louise and Bill Holladay Distinguished Fellow Award in 1979. After an active and distinguished career providing new developments and inventions which accelerated the advancement of air conditioning and refrigeration, Mr. Ashley died on April 15, 1993, at the age of 93. Carlyle Martin Ashley was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame on June 24, 1995 at the Society's 1995 Annual Meeting in San Diego, California.


Lynn G. Bellenger
1949–2011

Bellenger-85x107.jpg

Lynn G. Bellenger, born in Webster, NY in 1949, passed away in 2011 at the age of 62. She received a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Principia College in 1971 and a Master of Science in environmental science from Rutgers University in 1979. Shortly after receiving her Master’s, she earned her P.E. license and became an ASHRAE member.

After joining ASHRAE, Mrs. Bellenger demonstrated exemplary involvement at the Chapter and Society level. As an active member of the Rochester Chapter, she served on any number of committees and also served as Chapter President.  Her leadership as Chapter President earned her the “Golden Gavel Award” from Region I in 1983, a Regional Award of Merit, and the Lincoln Bouillon Award.  She served on a number of Society Standing Committees, Technical Committees, Councils, and Task Groups.  Mrs. Bellenger later went on to receive two first-place ASHRAE Technology Awards in 1985 and 1987. Along with a host of other awards and recognitions, she was also elevated to the grade of Fellow in 1997 and earned an Exceptional Service Award in 2006. 

Bellenger served as Director and Regional Chair for Region I from 2003 to 2006.  As DRC, Mrs. Bellenger supported many regional committees and worked to develop a training program for incoming Chapter Presidents and President-Elects. She revised operational meetings and topics at the Region I CRC to allow more education of incoming Chapter Officers and Committee Chairs. She also developed sessions for local Chapters and presented these topics in countless Regions.

Mrs. Bellenger was the first woman President of ASHRAE. As the 2010-11 ASHRAE Society President, her presidential theme was “Modeling a Sustainable World.”  She emphasized the role of modeling tools and how all involved in the built environment industry must come together to take advantage of “the rich opportunities for optimizing building performance through a collaborative approach from the beginning.” Her term as Society President demonstrated her commitment to and passion for ASHRAE.

Lynn Bellenger was a recognized expert in energy management, with a strong focus on the need for energy modeling to help create and refine more efficient buildings. Her lifelong passion for engineering excellence resonated with ASHRAE’S membership and the industry as a whole. She inspired others through her belief that engineers will lead an energy revolution through innovation. She was dedicated to educating fellow engineers and technicians with her published works in leading industry publications including; Heating, Piping and Air Conditioning, American Consulting Engineer, and the ASHRAE Journal. Through her service, she revealed that there is a path available to all who wish to extend the influence of engineering principles to better serve the world we live in.

Mrs. Bellenger was well known as an insightful speaker who always provided timely, accurate presentations. Her work always put ASHRAE in a very positive light and added to the reputation of the Society. She was an active leader in her faith community, a much beloved wife, sister, aunt and friend; as well as a devoted science fiction fan, kayaker, and swimmer.

Mrs. Bellenger was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame at the Society’s 2018 Winter Conference.


Lynn Bellenger Named to ASHRAE Hall of Fame

Learn more about past ASHRAE president Lynn Bellenger as told by her husband, Neil. This interview was part of Neil's acceptance of the Hall of Fame honor in Chicago, during the ASHRAE 2018 Winter Conference and AHR Expo.

Gianfelice Bertolini
1906–1977

Bertolini_Gianfelice.jpg

Gianfelice Bertolini was a Doctor of Engineering and Associate Professor at Milan Polytechnic. He is billed by Italian engineers as the first modern consulting engineer in Italy and was highly qualified in his field. He was the initiator of many important engineering concepts and the designer of many outstanding systems. Some examples of his work include the 32 floor Galfa Tower, three major hospitals in Milano, district heating and generation for the Italian District of Comasina in 1961, and the Carlo Felice Theater in Genova in 1976. Dr. Bertolini was the founding President of ASHRAE Italiana in 1960 and the President of AICARR for three years. He received the Medal of Honor from AICARR, was a member of the Board of Directors for the Order of Engineers, and the Vice President for the College of Engineers. In later years, he became the founder and editor of two monthly magazines, the AICARR Journal and 'Hospital Engineering.' Dr. Bertolini, together with the late Paolo Sonino, created the Mostra-Convegno, which is one of the world's leading exhibitions and conferences in the industry. Gianfelice Bertolini was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame on June 22, 1996 at the Society's 1996 Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.


Rolla C. Carpenter
1852–1919

RollaCarpenter-74x111.jpg

Rolla C. Carpenter was born in Orion, Michigan in 1852 and received his Master’s Degree in 1875 from Michigan State Agricultural College (now Michigan State University). From 1875 to 1890 he held the Chair of Mathematics and Civil Engineering at Michigan State Agricultural College, while completing a Master of Mechanical Engineering at Cornell University.

While at the Michigan Agricultural College he designed and supervised construction at the young school including iron and wood shops which he saw “as places where students might learn by actual practice more than from demonstration.” In 1887, he and Professor William J. Beal laid out “Collegeville,” the first neighborhood in what later became the city of East Lansing, Michigan.

His thirst for actual practice as part of formal education continued as he became a professor at Cornell University in 1890 and was named Professor of Experimental Engineering in 1895 – a position he held until his death in 1919.  The mechanical laboratory, under his direction, expanded rapidly, and the course of instruction in experimental engineering he developed formed a pattern for similar courses in other institutions positively influencing methods of teaching. During these years he wrote two pace-setting textbooks: “Heating and Ventilating Buildings: a Manual for Heating Engineers and Architects” (1891) and “Instructions for Mechanical Laboratory Practice: Text-Book of Experimental Engineering” (1892).

Professor Carpenter gained broad distinction in his field: membership in eight of the leading engineering societies (including presidency in ASHVE); membership in an Academy of Sciences Commission (1915); judge of machinery and transportation at the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893; Honorary Doctorate of Laws by the Michigan State Agricultural College (1907); and member to the Boiler Code Committee of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Rolla Carpenter, as author of the first heating and ventilating textbook for engineers, Charter Member of ASHVE and its president in 1896, was truly a major contributor to the foundation on which ASHRAE now stands.

Mr. Carpenter was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame at the Society’s 2015 Winter Meeting.


Willis H. Carrier
1876–1950

Carrier_Willis.bmp

Dr. Willis H. Carrier received a degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University in 1901, and a doctorate  degree from Lehigh University in 1935, and a doctor of science degree from Alfred University in 1942. Known widely  as 'The Father of Air Conditioning,' he installed the world's first scientifically designed air conditioning system in 1902. In 1907, Dr. Carrier and a group of his colleagues formed Carrier Air Conditioning Company of America as a subsidiary of Buffalo Forge Company. After the company became independent in 1915, he served as President until 1931, at which time he became Chairman of the Board. Dr. Carrier was associated with all 'firsts' during the infant stages of air conditioning. He is credited with the design of the centrifugal refrigeration machine. Some of his notable accomplishments include the Gold Achievement Medal as a member of ASME; served as President of ASRE and ASHVE; had many patents and authored of numerous publications; member of ASRE Advisory Board and edited the first publication of Refrigerating Data Book; published 'Fan Engineering' in 1914; presented paper in 1915 to ASRE entitled 'Centrifugal Compression as Applied to Refrigeration' which described his work leading to the development of centrifugal refrigeration machines; presented paper to ASME entitled 'Rational Psychometric Formulae,' which set in place the science of air conditioning; and received the F. Paul Anderson Award in 1932. In addition, Dr. Carrier was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1985, joining a list of distinguished inventors such as Thomas A. Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Charles Goodyear and George Eastman. Dr. Willis Haviland Carrier was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame on June 25, 1994 at the Society's 1994 Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.


William J. Collins, Jr.
1915–2005

Collins_William-Photo.jpg

William J. (Bill) Collins, Jr. received the Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University in 1935. He moved to Oklahoma in 1937 and received his Professional Engineering License in 1941. He established his own consulting engineering office in 1946 and retired in 1995. Mr. Collins was born leader as exhibited by his long service and milestone contributions to ASHVE, ASHAE and ASHRAE. He first joined ASHVE in 1949 and was elected secretary of the first society meeting he attended in 1952. During his career he held practically every office in his Chapter, Region and the Society including the Society Presidency. At the same time he was active in the Society of Professional Engineers, Consulting Engineers Council of Oklahoma, the American Consulting Engineers Council and the Society of American Military Engineers. He was an ASHRAE Fellow, received the Distinguished Service Award, the F. Paul Anderson Award, the Andrew T. Boggs Service Award, the Regional Award of Merit and the Society Research Promotion Award is named for him. Mr. Collins was responsible for a number of projects and programs that have contributed greatly to make the Society what it is today. By 1959 he was a member of the Board of Directors of ASHVE and a leader in the merger of ASHAE and ASRE to form ASHRAE. ASHRAE’s Region VIII was formed at that time and Mr. Collins was made Regional Director and a member of the Society Board of Directors, a position he occupied for four years. He became Society president in 1975. In addition to Research Promotion, his major accomplishment during his term was accelerating the adoption of ASHRAE Standard 90.1, “Energy Conservation in Commercial Buildings,” a very significant act. This was the first standard of its kind, still under constant revision and widely adopted. William J. Collins, Jr. was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame at the Society’s 2010 Winter Conference in Orlando, Florida.


Frank J. Dean Jr.
1911–2000

Dean_Frank-100W.jpg

Frank J. Dean Jr. received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Princeton and a Masters degree from  MITin Mechanical Engineering.

Considered “an HVAC systems thinker,” Mr. Dean conceptualized and implemented an overall method of designing and installing air-conditioning systems that provided a unique combination of low first cost and low energy cost without sacrificing high quality. His designs also provided for quietness, durability and low maintenance.

Among his innovative concepts was the development of a computerized air-conditioning system simulation program using weather data together with detailed equipment and systems modeling. These programs were installed in the Kansas City Board of Trade Building in 1966 and continue to perform satisfactorily today.

Mr. Dean was one of the first installers of variable-air-volume (VAV) systems and stands out in perfecting the total system concept. It is estimated that nearly 70 percent of large commercial air-conditioning systems in the United States today use the VAV system in some form.

He formed the Temperature Industries Corp. along with subsidiary companies, Temperature Engineering, Tempmaster, Viron and Wattmaster. Temperature Engineering designed, installed, and serviced air conditioning systems in Kansas City and Detroit. The Tempmaster Corp. manufactured a line of commercial VAV air distribution products and air handling equipment. The Viron Corp. providing management consulting services, and the Wattmaster Corp. manufactured building automation control systems, all as a complement to Tempmaster equipment. The five companies worked together to pioneer cutting edge design, manufacturing and energy management systems solutions for the commercial HVAC marketplace.

Mr. Dean and his employees were granted more than 20 patents. Major HVAC equipment manufacturers in the U.S. have successfully adopted many of the air-conditioning technologies and designs that Dean conceived and developed.

Mr. Dean died in 2000 at the age of 89.


John Engalitcheff, Jr.
1907–1984

Engalitcheff_John.jpg

John Engalitcheff, Jr. was born in Moscow, Russia. He received a special scholarship from Johns Hopkins University and graduated as a Mechanical Engineer in 1930. In 1938, Mr. Engalitcheff founded the Baltimore Aircoil Company, which began producing finned coils and ultimately developed a 'blow through' evaporative condenser. In the ensuing years, the company developed packaged 'blow through' evaporative condensers and cooling towers, V-Line cooling towers and condensers, and the Ejector cooling tower. John Engalitcheff held 47 patents on heating and air conditioning equipment. His work in the field of evaporative heat transfer made possible compact energy efficient cooling towers and evaporative condensers, which led to the displacement of water wasteful once-through systems and provided an alternative to dry cooling systems. He was truly a pioneer and innovator in the air conditioning industry. Mr. Engalitcheff received ASHRAE's Distinguished Service Award in 1963, became a Life Member in 1972, an ASHRAE Fellow in 1977, and received the F. Paul Anderson Award in 1981. Mr. Engalitcheff died in 1984, just three days after personally receiving the Presidential Eagle Pin from President Ronald Reagan for his contributions and involvement in 'Peace Through Strength' strategy of the American Security Council. John Engalitcheff, Jr. was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame on June 22, 1996 at the Society's 1996 Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.


Pavel Ole Fanger
1934–2006

Fanger_Ole100W.jpg

Ole Fanger received the M.S. (1957) and D. Sc. (1970) from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).  He joined the faculty of DTU in 1959, and was promoted to Professor in 1977.  He guided more than 100 M.S. and Ph.D. students, published 12 books or book chapters, was author or co-author of over 300 technical papers, and presented more than 300 invited lectures.

Fanger established the International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy (ICIEE) at the DTU in 1998, and served as its Founding Director until 2004.  In 2003, an international evaluation declared ICIEE to be the best in the world within the field of indoor environment and energy.

He became an ASHRAE member in 1968, and attended most of the biannual meetings for nearly 40 years.  He was frequently seen with his many friends and colleagues in the International Welcome area of the meetings.

Fanger’s research was almost exclusively directed toward people’s response to the indoor environment.  Specifically, he introduced in the 1960s indices for the quantification of thermal sensation and comfort.  He and his associates identified for the first time a significant impact of indoor air quality on productivity (office workers, factory workers, etc.) and on Sick Building Syndrome symptoms.

He was arguably the most “decorated” Dane in scientific and technical affairs.  He was elected to 7 international academies, including NAE.   He was given honorary membership in 17 engineering societies in Europe and Asia.  He was the recipient of 8 awards from ASHRAE, including the Holladay Distinguished Fellow and the F. Paul Anderson Award.  He was awarded 9 honorary doctorates, and was honorary professor at 6 major Chinese universities.  He was awarded 28 medals, plaques, and prizes by engineering societies throughout the world.   In 2002, the Queen of Denmark made him Knight of the Order of Dannebrog, Premier Degree. 

Pavel Ole Fanger, widely considered the world’s leading expert on the effect of the indoor environment on human comfort, health, and productivity, died September 19, 2006, at the age of 72.  He was making his second visit to Syracuse University in his new role as a University Professor.  He was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame at the Society’s 2008 Winter Meeting.


Frank H. Faust
1905–1995

Faust_Frank.jpg

After graduating from Yale in 1926, Frank H. Faust joined the General Electric Co. where he remained until his retirement in 1970. Some of the highlights of his work at GE include design of the first hermetically sealed self-contained room air conditioner and assisting with the design of the first all-electric railroad car air-conditioning system and with the industry's first self-contained, refrigerated drinking water cooler. The first direct-reading psychrometric chart was designed under his supervision. During World War II, he was instrumental in the design of food refrigeration systems for Navy and Coast Guard vessels. Mr. Faust served ASHRAE and its predecessor societies for more than 60 years. He joined ASHVE in 1930 and ASRE in 1931. As the first chair of the Committee on Cooperation, he helped implement the ASHAE/ASRE merger studies leading to the formation of ASHRAE in 1959. He guided establishment of the New Jersey Chapter and served as its first president. From 1971-1985, he was active in solicitation of funds from government agencies, netting nearly $8.5 million for joint ASHRAE and outside agency research projects. He also served on the code committee that wrote the 1930 edition of the Safety Code for Mechanical Refrigeration. He was a recipient of the ASHRAE F. Paul Anderson Award, the Distinguished 50-Year Member Award and the Louise and Bill Holladay Distinguished Fellow Award. Presidential Member Frank H. Faust, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, died in January 1995 and was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame at the Society's 2003 Winter Meeting.


A. Pharo Gagge
1908–1993

Gagge_APharo.jpg

A. Pharo Gagge received a M.A. from the University of Virginia in 1933 and a Ph.D. from Yale in 1933. Dr. Gagge was a renowned biophysicist and professor emeritus of epidemiology (environmental health) at Yale University School of Medicine. Mr. Gagge's contributions to the industry and the Society included the following: 'Clo' unit used to quantify clothing insulation; 'operative temperature' used to combine the air and radiant temperature; and the concept of 'skin wettedness' essential to understanding discomfort in heat. In addition, Dr. Gagge made major contributions in the following areas: Human heat balance and equation development, basic formula in human heat exchange; the 'Two Node Model' of human temperature regulation; ASHRAE Standard 55, Thermal Environmental Conditions of Human Occupancy, 1963-1992; and human thermal comfort comprehension and the effective temperature used by ASHRAE. Dr. Gagge contributed more than 125 publications to the industry. He was elevated to the grade of ASHRAE Fellow in 1974, awarded the Distinguished Service Award in 1974, received the Louise and Bill Holladay Award in 1981, and the F. Paul Anderson Award in 1986. A. Pharo Gagge was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame on June 24, 1995 at the Society's 1995 Annual Meeting in San Diego, California.


Henry L. Galson
1900–1963

Galson_Henry-100.jpg

Henry L. Galson was born in Vienna, Austria in the year 1900 and died in 1963. The HVAC&R profession suffered a great loss at his untimely passing, at age 63. He was drafted into the Austrian army during World War I at the age of 17 and was appointed a commissioned officer after only six weeks of basic training. He served in Russia and Italy. He became an ASHRAE member in 1935. From 1925 through 1963, he actively pursued inventions, development, and designs for the HVAC&R profession. During this period he received 15 patents for unique design and development of HVAC&R apparatus and was a pioneer in developing self-contained air conditioning equipment and the technical background necessary for the development of heat pumps. In 1933 Mr. Galson was the co-recipient of the prestigious John Scott Medal for Scientific Achievement, awarded by the Philadelphia Franklin Institute for his seminal development of the self-contained air conditioning unit. This was an exemplary honor at that time for an engineer with only eleven years of professional practice experience. During World War II he developed an aircraft spot cooler for the U.S. Air Force suitable for desert warfare, and an anti-submarine weapon, the Hedgehog, which destroyed some 300 German U-boats. By 1946, he had become an independent consultant, designing the first truly mass-produced unitary air conditioner for the Fedders-Quigan and Rheem Corporations. His designs included window units, food dispensing equipment requiring refrigeration, residential heating and cooling equipment and packaged air conditioners with up to fifteen-ton capacity. The ASHRAE Centennial Series published in 1994-95 has a more detailed account of Mr. Galson’s achievements than can be expressed in this nomination letter. His pioneering efforts were seminal to the development of self-contained air conditioning and heat pump equipment. He deserves to be classified among the giants of HVAC&R for his contributions in just 41 years of active engineering practice. Mr. Henry L. Galson was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame at the Society’s 2005 Winter Meeting.


Milton Garland
1895–2000

Garland_Milton.jpg

In 1998, Milton Garland was honored as the nation's oldest worker, having begun his career in 1920 at the Frick Co., now part of York International. He was known as 'Mr. Refrigeration' for his work in refrigeration systems for gold mines in South Africa and in the ice cream factories of Philadelphia. Mr. Garland held some 40 patents of refrigeration-related items, ranging from icemakers to screw compressor volume controls. His work in refrigeration aided in the construction of Hoover Dam for which he designed systems to cool the water, sand and rock used to make the concrete to build it. At ASHRAE's Centennial Meeting in 1995, Mr. Garland was recognized as a pioneer in technology. In 1989, ASHRAE endowed an award in his honor - the Milton W. Garland Commemorative Refrigeration Award for Project Excellence, which recognizes the designer and owner of a non-comfort cooling refrigeration application that highlights innovation and/or new technologies. He was a recipient of the ASHRAE F. Paul Anderson Award, the Distinguished 50-Year Member Award and the Louise and Bill Holladay Distinguished Fellow Award. In 1996, he received the first Andy Ammonia Award from the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration for his paper, The Influence of Vapor Pressure in the Condensing Process of the Ammonia Refrigeration Cycle. Milton Garland, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, died in July 2000 at age 104. He was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame at the Society's 2003 Winter Meeting.


Frederick E. Giesecke
1869-1953

Frederick E. Giesecke, Ph.D., was born in Latium, Texas on January 28, 1869 and passed away on June 27, 1953 at the age of 84 in New Braunfels, Texas. Dr. Giesecke received his initial training at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A&M), graduating in 1886. He immediately joined the faculty as an instructor in mechanical engineering, later earning his BSME from the same institution in 1890. While still working at Texas A&M, he completed his Master’s degree from MIT in 1904, and his doctorate from the University of Illinois in 1924. Dr. Giesecke was the Assistant Professor of Drawing from 1886 – 1888; he was made the head of the Drawing Department in 1888 at the age of nineteen. He was the head of Architecture and Drawing at Texas A&M from 1904-1912. In 1912, he took a position as a Professor of Architecture at the University of Texas, where he remained until 1927. In 1927 he returned to Texas A&M as the College Architect and Director of the Engineering Experiment Station and stayed until his retirement in 1939. He was recognized as a Professor Emeritus of HVAC until 1946.

Dr. Giesecke joined ASHVE, a predecessor society of ASHRAE, in 1913. In 1937, he co-founded the original Texas Chapter of ASHVE with Reg. F. Taylor and was the first Chapter President. In 1939 as ASHVE’s First Vice-President, he presented the Chapter Charter to the new South Texas (Houston) Chapter that was formed when the Texas Chapter split into North and South Chapters. Dr. Giesecke served as ASHVE President from 1940-41.

Dr. Giesecke established the Architectural Engineering degree course at Texas A&M in 1904. Not long after, he studied abroad to develop a greater understanding of hot water heating. Based on these studies, he wrote a pioneering book on radiant heating systems for the U.S. titled “The Design of Gravity-Circulation Hot-Water Heating Systems” in 1908. The information presented in this book sparked the use of radiant heating systems in the U.S.

Dr. Giesecke was the author of several texts and many papers. Most notably, his textbook titled “Technical Drawing” (co-authored with A. Mitchell and H.C. Spencer), was widely used as the teaching textbook for drawing standards in many colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, and abroad. He is still acknowledged in editions of this book in use today.

Dr. Giesecke was highly regarded as an educator and mentor to all, earning him the nickname of “Pal.” His legacy lives on today in the funded scholarship at Texas A&M known as the F.E. Giesecke – ASHRAE Houston Chapter Scholarship.

During Dr. Giesecke’s career, he received the F. Paul Anderson Award (the fourth such medal awarded in the U.S.) from ASHVE in 1942, and was voted a Life Member that same year. As the author of many papers, he received numerous awards. In 1905, he became a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and was a co-founder of the first Texas Chapter of the AIA. Additionally, he was an honorary member of Tau Beta Pi and Sigma Xi.

Mr. Giesecke will be inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame at the Society’s 2020 Winter Meeting.


A. Damon Gowan
1936–2017

Damon-Gowan-100W.jpg

A. Damon Gowan completed his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology in 1958 at Texas A&M.  Following graduation he joined the US Army where he served as Infantry officer obtaining the rank of Captain. He graduated from Army Aviation School in 1959, served 3 years as a pilot and 1.5 years as an infantry company commander.

In 1963 he started his professional career with Gowan Inc. He became CEO and President in 1985 and served in that position until his retirement in December 2005. Among his multiple projects are facilities for NASA (an Underwater Chamber, a Lunar Receiving Facility and laboratory, Physical and Psychological Human Testing Facility, and Living Quarters for many professional and astronauts.

The buildings for which he served as Project Executive (1972-1985 include; Shell West Hollow (the largest Commercial Office and Lab Building Project in the Houston Area at that time); Methodist Hospital Medical Center; (the largest Hospital in Houston at that time); Allied Bank (71 story office tower);  Wortham Theatre; Compaq Headquarters; Metro National Complex - West Houston; BMC Headquarters; Houston Intercontinental Airport (Central plant expansion); and MD Anderson Basic Science and Research Building ( the largest Laboratory complex in the United States specifically devoted to cancer research at completion).

His service to ASHRAE has been fantastic, and continuous.  He served on numerous committees and offices in his Houston Chapter, including President in 1977-1978.  He was chosen to serve as Regional Vice Chair from 1978-1981 and DRC from 1981-1984.  In 1988 Damon was elected as ASHRAE Treasurer, moving on to President-Elect, and President in 1990-1991. Salient among his service following his year as President are: ASHRAE/ARI Joint Exposition Policy Committee (1996-2011) Meetings and Arrangements (1999 – 2007); Foundation Trustees (Chair: 1994-2000; Treasurer: 2000-date). A. Damon Gowan, Presidential Member, Fellow, received the Distinguished Service Award, and the Society’s highest honor, the F. Paul Anderson Award.
Damon also had a strong presence in SMACNA (1974-1980) where he also was part of the  College of Fellows (1989-1990), and in NEBB where he served on the National Board from (1978-1984) and as President in 1984, offering his professional expertise and leadership skills.

Mr. Gowan was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame at the Society’s 2018 Annual Conference.


George Bedley Hightower
1911–2008

George-Hightower-95x107.jpg

George Bedley Hightower, P.E., was born on March 11, 1911 and graduated from Virginia Military Institute with a degree in electrical engineering in 1933 and as a Second Lieutenant in the Cavalry Reserve. After his extensive military involvement, George began his career in engineering as a Chief Engineer at the W.L. Alexander Company in Atlanta, selling and installing HVAC equipment.  Later he founded his own company, Conditioned Air Engineers, and became involved with American Society of Refrigeration Engineers (ASRE) where he would later aid in the formation of the ASRE Data Book. 

During Mr. Hightower’s ASRE involvement, he authored Chapters 20 & 21 of the ASRE Data Book (1939).   He was a Charter Member of the ASHRAE Atlanta Chapter and was a member of TC 1.6 and 9.7.  He wrote the Heating, Venting and A/C Code Books for the City of Atlanta in 1953 and 1960, co-authored the State of Georgia Gas Code in 1972, and served as the General Chair of the 1978 ASHRAE Winter Meeting in Atlanta. While apart of the Society, Mr. Hightower also received a host of awards for his industry involvement and dedicated volunteer time. A few of these awards are listed below:

  • 1974- ASHRAE-ALCO Award for Distinguished Public Service
  • 1984-  Distinguished Service Award
  • 1988 – Distinguished Fifty-Year Member Award
  • 1997 – Andrew T. Boggs Service Award
  • 2000 – Louise & Bill Holladay Distinguished Fellow Award

George B. Hightower was instrumental in selling, designing and installing air conditioning throughout the southeastern United States. This was done at a time when only components were being sold and the engineer had to work with individual coil, fan, and filter vendors.  Prior to this, the engineer would have to determine airflows and temperatures and what refrigerant temperature to size a compressor, and how much refrigerant gas was needed to select individual components. His contributions were an invaluable asset to the industry.

George passed away on November 8, 2008 at the age of 91.

Mr. Hightower was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame at the Society’s 2019 Winter Meeting.


Francis W. Hutchinson
1910–1990

Hutchison_Francis.jpg

Francis W. Hutchinson received his Bachelor of Science degree from the California Institute of Technology in 1931, a Master of Science degree in 1937, and a Master of Engineering degree in 1938, both from the University of California-Berkeley. He was an ASHRAE Fellow and a highly respected Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California-Berkeley and Purdue University. He was one of the 'pioneers' of the air-conditioning and refrigeration industry and as a teacher, inspired many young engineers to pursue a career in the industry. Early in his career, Professor Hutchinson had the vision to foresee the need to increase the effectiveness of HVAC&R equipment and wrote papers dealing with improvements in efficiency. In 1945, through the Purdue Housing Research Foundation, he established a solar energy research program. Other research programs included insulation techniques for shipboard transportation of perishables, thermodynamics of refrigeration, and heat transfer in heating and cooling panels. The U.S. State Department sponsored him for four years as a visiting scholar to institutions in Indonesia and India. Professor Hutchinson authored 178 papers and articles which have been published in technical literature of the HVAC&R industry. He also authored and co-authored 14 books dealing with industry subjects. Francis W. Hutchinson was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame on June 25, 1994 at the Society's 1994 Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.


Margaret Ingels
1892–1971

Ingels_Margaret.jpg

Margaret Ingels was a woman who was a generation before her time. She was a student of F. Paul Anderson and was the first woman to graduate from the University of Kentucky School of Engineering and the second woman to receive an engineering degree in the United States. In addition, she was the first woman in the United States to receive a graduate engineering degree. She received national attention and was invited to the White House, being recognized as one of 100 women whose career choice did not exist 100 years ago. Ms. Ingels worked with F. Paul Anderson at the ASVE laboratory and later became a long time associate of Dr. Willis Carrier. Because of her close association with Dr. Carrier and assignments with Carrier Corporation, she became a great spokeswoman not only for Carrier but for the industry. She captured the interest of many young minds with demonstrations of refrigeration principles and her speeches inspired young people to enter the air conditioning and refrigeration fields. Ms. Ingels was more than just a competent engineer, as her 45 technical publications in various journals attest. She developed the 'effective temperature' scale to incorporate humidity and air movement in the equation for human comfort. Outstanding among her writing contributions is her book 'The Father of Air Conditioning,' which outlined some of the Carrier family history and the life and contributions of Dr. Willis Carrier himself. Margaret Ingels was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame on June 22, 1996 at the Society's 1996 Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.


Roderick R. Kirkwood
1920–2010

Kirkwood.jpg

Roderick R. Kirkwood was born in St Paul, Minnesota in 1920. He served in the U.S. military from 1943 to 1945 and continued in the Army Reserve. He joined ASHRAE in 1946 and was a Registered Professional Engineer as well as a Fellow of ASHRAE. From 1977 to 1996, he was President of John Graham Associates, a large firm of architects and engineers. Mr. Kirkwood was active in the building industry for 56 years. He was responsible for several major projects including the mechanical and electrical design of the Space Needle for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. This was the theme building for the Fair and is still the symbol of Seattle. His design of the Bremerton Naval Hospital received the Department of Defense 1982 Blue Seal Award for the Most Outstanding Building worldwide. In 1992 Mr. Kirkwood was Co-Principal in Charge of the design of the Madigan Army Medical Center, the largest hospital ever build for the U.S. Corp of Engineers. Mr. Kirkwood became President of ASHRAE in 1973 and designated "Optimum Energy Utilization through Technology" as his theme for the year. This coincided with the 1973 energy crisis which brought an oil shortage, fuel price increases, and long lines at service stations. He challenged ASHRAE to develop standards that set the basis for performance and reduce energy consumption. He led the remarkable effort by ASHRAE to write Standard 90 with 150 committee members who met every weekend for three months. With the support of other societies and the National Bureau of Standards, Standard 90 was a technical leap forward as the first standard on energy use in buildings. It is estimated that 20,000 members joined ASHRAE because of this initiative. Roderick R. Kirkwood was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame on January 21, 2012 at the Society's 2012 Winter Conference in Chicago, Illinois.


Seichi "Bud" Konzo
1905–1992

Konzo-80x84.jpg

Seichi “Bud” Konzo was born in Tacoma, WA on August 2, 1905 and passed away in the year 1992 at the age of 87.  Professor Konzo graduated from the University of Washington and earned an M.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois in 1929, the year he joined its faculty.  He retired in 1971 and was Professor Emeritus, Department of Mechanical & Industrial
Engineering.

Professor Konzo is responsible for the first definitive research on forced warm air heating, residential air conditioning, and the pressure loss of air flowing through sheet metal duct fittings. During his 20 years with the University of Illinois, Engineering Experiment Station (EES), Professor Konzo was a principal investigator in the university's Residential Heating and Cooling Project. His warm air heating research spanned the period from steam radiators and coal furnaces through natural gas heating. Most of his research supported the longstanding collaboration between the EES and the National Warm Air Heating and Ventilating Association (NWAHVA), which later became the National Warm Air Heating and Air Conditioning Association (NWAHACA).

Professor Konzo was one of the first researchers to investigate residential air conditioning, and he did so in an unusual, hands-on way. In 1924, the University of Illinois, in cooperation with the heating and ventilating industry, built a nine-room research residence so that investigations into home heating would be conducted under realistic conditions. In 1933, Professor Konzo and his family along with two research assistants moved into the research residence to undertake an extensive investigation of air conditioning systems. For two years, they lived in this unique residential laboratory, collecting data and analyzing the performance of home cooling systems under a variety of conditions.

A firm believer in the benefits of industry involvement in university research, Professor Konzo extended his investigations of air conditioning in 1952 to include airplanes in association with Boeing.  His innovative and practical experiments in the area of cooling led to the 1958 Industrial Press Publications Winter Air Conditioning and Summer Air Conditioning. Throughout his career, Professor Konzo authored and/or co-authored more than 100 research bulletins and papers. Just before his death in 1992, he published his definitive history of the heating and cooling industry titled “The Quiet Indoor Revolution.”  A Fellow and Life Member of ASHRAE, Professor Konzo's research contributions were recognized with the ASHRAE F. Paul Anderson Award in 1973.

Bud Konzo Named to ASHRAE Hall of Fame

Learn more about ASHRAE Fellow and industry pioneer Seichi "Bud" Konzo, as told by his daughter, Margaret Wolf.


J. Donald Kroeker
1900–1985

Kroeker_Donald-Photo.jpg

J. Donald Kroeker was born in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine and came to the U.S. at an early age and, with his family, settled in Portland, Oregon. He obtained a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the Oregon Agricultural College in 1927 and a M.E. from OAC shortly thereafter. He joined ASHVE in the 1930’s and went into business as an engineer in the field of Heating and Ventilating. He was an early proponent of Heat Pump application and very early in his career designed a number of systems in Portland, the two largest being the Oregonian Building at 550 tons and the Equitable Building at 540 tons. He authored and co-authored numerous papers to demonstrate the commercial viability of Heat Pumps. He served on ASHVE Committees on both Weather Data and Heat Pumps and gave a presentation at the 65th Annual Conference in Philadelphia comparing his systems to other systems in the country. Mr. Kroeker served as a Council Member of ASHVE from 1949 to 1951 and as Society Treasurer in 1952. He was a Member, Secretary and, ultimately Chair of the Long Range Planning Committee. He was responsible for a great deal of the work involved in planning for the future of our Society. As Treasurer he was outspoken in his efforts to get all members to contribute to Research and made personal visits to member firms to promote contributions. He was actively involved in the discussions revolving around the two organizations, ASHVE and ASRE, prior to the merger. He was made an ASHRAE Fellow in 1957, received the F. Paul Anderson Award in 1961, an Award for service on the Long Range Planning Committee in 1962, the ASHRAE Distinguished Service Award in 1967, and the ASHRAE Distinguished 50-Year Member Award in 1975. J. Donald Kroeker was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame at the Society’s 2010 Winter Conference in Orlando, Florida.


Charles S. Leopold
1896–1960

Leopold_Charles.jpg

Charles S. Leopold graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and received a B.S. in electrical engineering in 1917 and E.E. in 1947. In 1923, he founded his own engineering firm and designed such projects as the Pentagon Building, New York Stock Exchange, Madison Square Gardens and the Philadelphia Convention Hall. In 1947, Mr. Leopold became active in the engineering and construction of the largest laboratory built by the Atomic Energy Commission at that time. The mechanical systems for this job were still operating in 1995 as proof of the efficiency of design. The largest panel cooling system to date, based upon his design, was installed in 1998 in a twelve-story office building in Canada. On the basis of the research study and design, other engineers throughout the U.S. and Canada are now applying panel cooling systems to air conditioning. Many engineers were tutored by Mr. Leopold and went on to establish their own nationally recognized firms. In 1946, Mr. Leopold was President and Chairman of the Executive Committee of our predecessor Society, the American Society of Refrigerating Engineers. He was an ASHRAE Fellow, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts of Great Britain, and a recipient of the F. Paul Anderson Award in 1954. The University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering recognized him for his distinguished career as an engineer. Charles S. Leopold was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame on February 5, 2000 at the Society's 2000 Winter Meeting in Dallas, Texas.


Calvin D. MacCracken
1919–1999

MacCracken-100W.jpg

Calvin (Cal) D. MacCracken was born in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1919. He graduated from Princeton University in 1940, and MIT in 1941 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He began his career with the General Electric Co. and became the Director of the Creative Engineering Program.

At General Electric he redesigned the combustion chamber and throttled the first jet engine ever built by GE, which was based on the British design, leading to his first of over 80 patents. Upon leaving GE in 1947 he founded a company, Jet Heet, whose first product was a residential forced-air furnace based on the jet combustion knowledge from GE. In 1966 the company was renamed CALMAC Mfg. Corp. with its primary product focus eventually becoming cooling storage.

Cal was an original inductee into the New Jersey Hall of Famous Inventors, along with Einstein and Edison, based on his accomplishments and contributions in developing more than 200 products, many based on his inventions, ranging from 2” flexible pre-insulated heating/cooling ducts, roller-type hot dog cookers, comfort controls for the first astronauts’ space suits, plastic mat-type ice rink, and roll-out solar collectors.

He is best known to ASHRAE for his pioneering work with thermal energy storage (TES) used for Off-Peak Cooling of buildings. It was MacCracken’s patented ICEBANK technology, which dramatically reduces the costly peak electric loads in buildings, by shifting cooling production to off peak hours, which played a key role in the rebirth of TES.  The all plastic heat exchanger and tank continues to be the standard technology today. Coupled with the commercial activities of Cal’s company CALMAC, and his activity in ASHRAE to support the development of thermal energy storage technology, great progress was achieved from which we benefit today. The first installation of his thermal energy storage (TES) system, “ICEBANK” in 1981, helped to develop the Off-Peak Cooling market. This product is now being used in over 4,000 installations in 60 countries around the world.

Cal is also credited with building the first “high velocity” style air handler. In the late 1940’s he developed a residential forced air furnace which used a novel 2”, insulated flexible duct. In the words of Shaun Intagliata (Director of Business Development, Unico, Inc.), “Mr. MacCracken designed the most efficient residential HVAC technology in the 1950’s. His creation of a small duct delivery system was fully 60 years ahead of its time”.

Another milestone contribution of Cal MacCracken, of great benefit to indoor ice rinks, is a special low-emissivity ceiling which is now installed in an estimated 2,000 ice rinks around the world. The patented Alumazorb Low Emissivity Ceiling is suspended over the ice surface, acting as a radiant barrier between the warm ceiling and the cold ice below it. The result is a 20-30 percent reduction of the energy consumption for keeping the ice frozen. Peter Martell, Executive Director of the Ice Skating Institute called Alumazorb “one of the most important advancements in the last 50 years.” In 2010 Cal was posthumously granted the Ice Skating Institute Frank J. Zamboni Award.

Calvin MacCracken died at the age of 79. In the words of Clifford H. Rees (president of the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute at that time), “His pioneering efforts will be long remembered by an industry that will be ever grateful. His trail-blazing ideas benefited people and the world.”

Mr. MacCracken was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame at the Society’s 2016 Winter Conference.


Mary E. Pennington
1872–1952

Pennington_Mary92.jpg

Mary Engle Pennington was born October 8, 1872, and at an early age moved to Philadelphia. She was admitted to the University of Pennsylvania in 1890 and earned her Ph.D. in 1895 under Edgar Fahs Smith. Pennington’s post-graduate work led her to the field of bacteriological chemistry and ultimately to refrigeration engineering. Our current confidence in safe handling, storage, and transportation of foods is due in a large part to her work. In 1898 she accepted a position as Director of the Clinical Laboratory at the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. During this time she also worked as a bacteriologist with the Philadelphia Bureau of Health. She not only carried out scientific studies on the relationship between handling conditions and bacterial levels in milk products, she also used her work to persuade farmers to agree to new procedures that would keep milk products safe for the consumer.


In 1905, Ms. Pennington began her long association with the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) as a bacteriological chemist. Her exceptional performance led her to become Chief of the food research laboratory. Because of her thorough and careful work, she was able to define procedures of taking chickens from the slaughterhouse to the consumer. She was a member of ASRE from 1920-1948, and elected Fellow in 1948. She was awarded the Notable Service Medal from President Hoover in 1919, the Garvan medal in 1940, and in 2002 she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. During her long career she published more than 30 papers and one book. Ms Pennington died in 1952. Mary Engle Pennington was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame on January 27, 2007 at the Society’s 2007 Winter Meeting in Dallas, Texas.


Richard Perry
1923-2014

Richard (Dick) Perry was born in Lower Hunt, New Zealand on December 27, 1923 and passed away on May 14, 2014 at the age of 90. Mr. Perry completed his initial training in New Zealand and became a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. While a member, Mr. Perry moved to Canada after serving as a Flight Lieutenant in the New Zealand Air Force during World War II. When trying to find a job in Canada as a machine design engineer, he was asked if he knew anything about heating. As  buildings were not heated the same way in New Zealand as in Canada, he was unfamiliar with HVAC practices. Despite this, Mr. Perry was willing to learn. This started his long career in the HVAC industry.

Mr. Perry joined ASHRAE in 1953 and became heavily involved in Society. During his early involvement he served as the Regional Chair for Region X. During his time as the Regional Chair, he was asked by then Society President Bill Chapman to be chairman of the Regional Reorganizing Committee. This was a large task as it restructured all of the North American Chapters and created 2 new Regions - Region XI and Region XII. After this was completed, Mr. Perry also held the positions of Society Vice President, Treasurer, President-Elect and President.

During his time as Treasurer, Mr. Perry was asked to be the Chairman of the Headquarters Relocation Committee. The committee was tasked with the review of 28 cities to move the ASHRAE headquarters from New York City to a new location. As ASHRAE President, Mr. Perry’s Presidential Theme was “International Year.” It was during this year that the first non-North American chapter was chartered in Singapore. Shortly thereafter , in what is now Region XIII, the Hong Kong Chapter was created. This was the start of ASHRAE’s international presence. The vision that Mr. Perry had of expanding the membership and involvement of ASHRAE outside of North America in the 1980’s is why ASHRAE has now become a global Society. As a result of his efforts, we continue to see growth outside North America.

During Mr. Perry’s career he received the following awards: Chapter Service Award, Regional Award of Merit, DSA, ESA, Andrew T. Boggs Award, F. Paul Anderson Award, Distinguished 50-Year Member Award, and Fellow of ASHRAE. He was also recognized as a CIBSE Life Member, CIBSE Fellow, Institution of Mechanical Engineers (I.Mech.E) Great Britain Fellow and Life Member, as well as a Charter member of the US Green Building Council.

Mr. Perry will be inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame at the Society’s 2020 Winter Meeting


Rudolf Plank
1886–1973

Plank_Rudolf.jpg

Rudolf Plank was born on March 6, 1886 in Russia. In 1913, he became a Professor at the Technical University of Danzig and in 1925, a Professor for theoretical engineering at the Technical University of Karlsruhe. After World War II, he became Chancellor of the University. Throughout his professional career, Professor Plank was associated with the Deutsher Kaelte-und Klimatechnischer Verein, DKV (German Society of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning). In 1948, after World War II, he refounded the DKV and served until 1966 when he became Honorary President of the Society. Professor Plank has been described as the grandfather of modern refrigeration in Germany and perhaps in all of Europe. He was the publisher of a twelve volume 'Handbuch fur Kaltetechnik' (Handbook for Refrigeration) and authored many papers in the Handbook. He also published a well-known book on 'Kalteverdichter' (Compressors in Refrigeration). Professor Plank was one of the early people to discover that the quality of frozen food was enhanced by plunging the temperature rapidly through the freezing range. He experimented with the prediction of freezing time. An equation which bears his name facilitates this calculation (page 9.7 of the 1998 ASHRAE Handbook on Refrigeration), undoubtedly a milestone contribution. He was one of the giants who changed the face of the refrigeration field. Rudolf Plank was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame on June 23, 2001 at the Society's 2001 Annual Meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio.


John Edwin Starr
1861–1931

Starr-100W.jpg

John Edwin Starr was born in Litchfield, New York in 1861. After graduating from Utica Academy in New York, he moved to St. Louis in 1887 to specialize in refrigeration engineering, establish the International Cooling Company, and in 1890 design the city pipeline system. In 1898 he moved back to New York to start his own consulting refrigeration firm.  He pioneered the development of small size refrigeration systems and refrigeration by pipe line from central stations. 

During his career, Mr. Starr received 7 patents for refrigeration devices and processes. He published 11 articles from 1905-1930 ranging in topics from pipeline refrigeration to fireproof cold storage warehouse construction to insulation upkeep to safety codes. Authoring the “Practical Refrigerating Engineers’ Pocketbook” in 1922 put John E. Starr’s expertise into every engineer’s pocket. 

John Edwin Starr was the first President of the American Society of Refrigerating Engineers (ASRE) from 1904-1905. He served many positions and committees of ASRE after his presidential year including Vice President 1905-1906 and Director 1907-1908.  He was appointed delegate to the first International Congress of Refrigeration in 1908. Mr. Starr was also an ASME member. 

In 1896 John Starr received the Franklin Institute Medal for advances in refrigeration from City Central Stations and in 1929 he became the first Honorary Member in the American Society of Refrigerating Engineers.

At the time of his death in 1931 he was known as the “Dean of Refrigeration Engineers.” After his death ASRE noted:

John E. Starr died June 27, 1931. Through his death the refrigerating profession lost a most distinguished representative upon whom it had bestowed the high honors and tokens of respect and esteem. He was the first president of ASRE and did much in building up the Society to the important position which it now holds. He was a leading spirit in advancing our profession and was a pioneer in many developments. He was a scientist, seeking out facts by experiment and basing his development of facts combined with theory. There is no truer saying than one contained in his presidential address that, “The grail of the engineer must be first and last- the Truth.” He was a loyal friend, generous to a fault and willing to share his knowledge with his brother engineers. He was especially kind to the younger men and always willing to lend them a helping hand. We hereby express the sincere respect and affection in which he was held and the regret of the Society in the loss of its leading member.  

Mr. Starr was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame at the Society’s 2016 Winter Conference.


Wilbert F. Stoecker
1925–2010

Stoecker.jpg

Wilbert F. Stoecker was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1925, and received his bachelor's degree from the Missouri School of Mines (1948), his MSME from the University of Illinois (1951), and his Ph.D. from Purdue University (1962). He taught for 36 years before retiring from the University of Illinois in 1984, but remained active by promoting ASHRAE internationally, lecturing and offering workshops on commercial and industrial refrigeration, and mentoring younger engineers. Always willing to serve as an ambassador, he in part opened doors for ASHRAE to become the global society it is today. He received several ASHRAE honors including the Louise and Bill Holladay Distinguished Fellow Award, International Activities Award, F. Paul Anderson Award, Distinguished Service Award, and the E.K. Campbell Award. Mr. Stoecker also received numerous other awards including the Halliburton Educational Leadership Award, ASEE Western Electric Award for Excellence in Teaching, Ralph Coats Roe Award (ASEE), Hall-Thermotank Gold Medal (British Institute of Refrigeration), the Ottesen Medal (Danish Refrigeration Association), and the Wilbur T. Pentzer Award (U.S. National Committee of the IIR) to name a few. Professor Stoecker was the author of seven textbooks recognized for their capability to transform complex engineering theory into a practical and useful format. This has led to their relevance and lasting impact. As examples, "Refrigeration and Air Conditioning" has been in print since 1958, and scheduled for yet another edition, "Design of Thermal Systems" first of its class in 1971 continues to be in widespread use, and "Industrial Refrigeration Handbook" also remains a leading book in the field. He was committed to enhancing his profession and went beyond his service as member and chair of the Refrigeration and other committees in ASHRAE. He also provided practical training for those in the field. He founded the Industrial Refrigeration Workshop, a one week course addressing the latest developments in the field, in 1982. These workshops still continue with numerous engineers and plant supervisors attending through the years. He passed away on September 5, 2010, at age 84. Wilbert F. Stoecker was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame at the Society's 2013 Winter Conference in Dallas, Texas.


Robert T. Tamblyn
1921–2012

Tamblyn-74x111.jpg

Robert T. Tamblyn was born on March 22, 1921 in London Ontario Canada. In 1946 he began his involvement in the industry as a sales engineer, and later Manager, President, and Chairman of several engineering consulting companies.  He was an ASHRAE Fellow and Distinguished Service Award recipient. He served on ASHRAE Committees, and chaired of the ASHRAE Energy Conservation Task Group, NRC Standing Committee for Energy Conservation, Research & Technical Committee; and ASHRAE Task Group for Tall Buildings.

Bob had a measurable impact on the industry as a consulting engineer. In the words of one who knew him, “Bob Tamblyn was part of those who were the pioneers of the consulting mechanical engineering business in Canada.  He was responsible for raising the profile of our profession, helped all of us who came after garner respect for the work that we do…”   He was an idea man and called the “Steve Jobs of the consulting engineering profession.” He always had a touch to challenge others to think in a creative manner.

He also was a pioneer in many areas, including, application of heat pumps in commercial buildings (1950’s); use of an on-floor fan system for variable air volume applications in commercial buildings (1960’s); applications for both hot and cold storage tanks in commercial buildings (1970’s); lead the first engineering firm to specialize in energy management (1973); and work on seasonal chilled water storage (1980’s).  

Shortly after his death the Toronto Star, October 21 2012, called him “the brilliant Toronto engineer who dreamed up a highly innovative system — deep lake water cooling — that forms the core of the cooling side of many of the major buildings in downtown Toronto... using less than a tenth of the energy required by conventional air conditioning systems.” Tamblyn’s original concept was implemented by those who followed him in TMP (renamed then as The Mitchell Partnership Consulting Mechanical Engineers), leading to a district cooling system that continues to attract firms that are environmentally conscious to Toronto’s downtown.

In summary, Tamblyn’s worthiness as a milestone contributor is well exhibited by his positive influence in the consulting engineering profession, his various pioneering contributions for air conditioning in commercial buildings, his push and drive for thermal storage, and his seminal concept of deep lake water cooling.  A September 2004 National Geographic article described it as “the Air Conditioning of Tomorrow.” An agency of New York City’s government lists it as a best practice in the fields of climate change and energy.  This is most definitely a milestone accomplishment and expression of Robert Tamblyn’s creativity and distinction in engineering.

Mr. Tamblyn was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame at the Society’s 2015 Winter Meeting.


Reuben N. Trane
1886–1954

Trane_Reuben.jpg

Reuben N. Trane graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1910 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. In 1913, he and his father founded The Trane Company in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. He later held the position of President and, ultimately, Chairman of the Board. Mr. Trane had 28 patents in the HVAC field, including the invention of the fin-and-tube convector radiator (1926) and the invention of the first fan coil unit (1933). He initiated the industry's first graduate training program. He developed a brazed aluminum process of manufacturing heat exchangers and other firsts within the industry, including the development of the first hermetic centrifugal refrigeration machine. Mr. Trane led The Trane Company's growth from a predominately local concern with sales of $50,000 in 1913 to a worldwide HVAC manufacturer with sales in excess of $45 million in 1953, at the time of his retirement. Today, The Trane Company is a leader in the global HVAC industry, with annual sales in excess of $2.5 billion. Mr. Trane was a member of the Institution of Heating and Ventilating Engineers and of the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers, to which he was awarded a lifetime membership in 1951. Reuben N. Trane was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame on June 28, 1997 at the Society's 1997 Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.


George Lewis Tuve
1896–1980

Tuve_George.jpg

George Lewis Tuve had an enviable career in the engineering field. For 40 years, Mr. Tuve was a professor of mechanical engineering at several universities. He was head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Case Institute of Technology from 1945 until 1957, when he was named Director of the Bingham Laboratories at Case. Professor Tuve was co-author of an engineering textbook used in over 100 engineering schools, which is still in use today. He was a researcher in heat transfer and fluid mechanics as applied to air conditioning systems and a contributor to the 1941 edition of Marks Handbook, with a chapter on Mechanical Measurements. Professor Tuve was President of ASHVE in 1948 and served on many special and technical committees. He presented 12 technical papers at Society meetings and wrote several papers for ASME. He is listed in Who's Who in America and American Men of Science. George Lewis Tuve was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame on June 22, 1996 at the Society's 1996 Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.


Gardner T. Voorhees
1869–1937

Voorhees_Gardiner-174.jpg

Gardner T. Voorhees was an early pioneer in refrigeration, refrigeration standards and air conditioning. His original nomination for the Hall of Fame came from the ASHRAE Historical Committee, who concluded that Mr. Voorhees was the most deserving of the several candidates they researched for this honor. Mr. Voorhees made many pioneering contributions. Among the most notable of these was his design of one of the earliest refrigerated campus systems. This system consisted of a central refrigeration plant serving multiple buildings using brine distributed through insulated underground pipes, and was installed at the Quincy Market Cold Storage Company. Mr. Voorhees also designed one of the world’s earliest comfort cooling systems, which was installed in his office at the Quincy Market Cold Storage Company. He also designed and installed an air-conditioning system for the Walter Lowney Candy Company in Boston. All of these systems came into being in the 1890’s. Mr. Voorhees authored five books on absorption and mechanical refrigerating machines, and held a patent on a dual suction-pressure compressor. Mr. Gardner T. Voorhees was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame at the Society’s 2005 Winter Meeting.


Fred W. Wolf, Jr.
1879–1954

Wolf-photo.jpg

Fred W. Wolf, Jr. was born in Chicago on July 16, 1879. He was the son of Fred W. Wolf, Sr. who bought the rights to sell and manufacture the Linde Ammonia Refrigeration system in the United States. Fred Wolf, Jr. did not pursue his father's interest in larger refrigeration systems, instead venturing into the development and sale of refrigeration systems for groceries and households in the early 1900s.

He patented a number of refrigeration systems and components, including reversing valves and various aspects of refrigeration apparatus. However, his principal contribution was his development of domestic refrigeration. Through him, in 1912, the sale of revolutionary refrigeration systems was started. It was marketed as the DOMELRE (a contraction of DOMEstic ELectric REfrigerator) after 1913.

The DOMELRE is significant in the early development of household refrigeration in that it was the first attempt to mass-market a simple, inexpensive household refrigerator. It was also the first successfully manufactured air cooled system and it was the first to be easily portable, being designed as a ready plug in refrigerator unit that cold be added to an ice box, instantly converting it to an electric refrigerator. It was also the first to use ice cube trays, a feature that is now taken for granted.

Without any doubt, Fred Wolf, Jr. was to domestic refrigeration what Henry Ford was to the automotive industry. His concept is now providing safe preservation of food through refrigeration in homes world-wide. His system was important enough that Frigidaire Corporation purchased his company just to obtain Wolf's patents and further advance domestic refrigeration.

Fred Wolf, Jr. died on January 19, 1954. He was a charter member of the American Society of Refrigerating Engineers (1905). He served on ASRE society committees and was known as an active participant in discussions of papers presented at society meetings.

He was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame at the Society's 2014 Winter Meeting.


Jasper G. Woodroof
1900–1998

Woodroof_Jasper1.jpg

Jasper Guy Woodroof is often called the “Father of Food Science.” His contributions to research in food science and horticulture spanned a career of over sixty years. His work ranged from the development of processes and methods for the preservation of fruits and vegetables by freezing and canning to revolutionary techniques for the long-term storage of military rations. He graduated form the University of Georgia in 1922 with a B.S.A. Degree in Horticulture. Following graduation, he joined the Georgia Experiment Station and began graduate studies that led to an M.S.A. Degree from Georgia in 1926, and eventually a Ph.D. from Michigan Agricultural College (which later became Michigan State University) in 1932. Woodroof’s contributions were made primarily while he was associated with the University of Georgia’s Experiment Station from 1938 until his retirement in 1967, a period when tremendous world wide changes in the processing of foods occurred. Dr. Woodroof published 48 bulletins and technical reports on horticulture. Between 1938 and 1987, when he published his exceptional autobiography “Dreams of a Food Scientist,” he published four books and more than 250 bulletins and technical reports on food science. He founded the Department of Food Technology at the Georgia Experiment Station in 1939, which later became the Division of Food Science at the University of Georgia, with Dr. Woodruff as its first chair. Under his leadership the division granted its first B.S. Degree in Food Technology in 1944, its first M.S. in 1948 and its first Ph.D. in 1958. A Life Member, Fellow and Distinguished Service Award recipient of ASHRAE, Dr. Woodroof served as a Regional Director of ASRE and as a “founding” Director of ASHRAE following the merger in 1959. He received many awards from other organizations as well, including Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and recipient of the Nicholas Appert Medal and the Donald K Tressler Award from the Institute of Food Technologists. Dr. Jasper Guy Woodroof was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame at the Society’s 2006 Winter Meeting.

Close