Professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering Richard White dies at 75

Richard N. "Dick" White, the James A. Friend Family Distinguished Professor of Engineering Emeritus, died Oct. 4 at the age of 75.

White, who joined the Cornell faculty in 1961, served as director of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering from 1978-84, and associate dean for undergraduate programs from 1987-90. He became an emeritus professor in 1998.

Throughout his career, White won many honors for teaching and research, including the American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) Collingwood Prize, the American Concrete Institute's (ACI) Wason Medal and Structural Engineering Prize, and the ACI Kelly Prize. He co-authored five books and was a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of ACI and ASCE, as well as a member of the Prestressed/Precast Concrete Institute. In 1997 he was elected president of ACI.

Outside his academic career, photography was a major pastime for White, and he entered many photographic exhibitions and had numerous shows of his work.

White was born Dec. 21, l933, in Chetek, Wis., and grew up on dairy farms. He is survived by his wife, Margaret; daughter, Barbara Shaffer and son, David White; grandchildren, a sister, nieces and a nephew.

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