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Walter R. Evans
BSEE '41
Alumni Achievement Award

Walter R. Evans has been recognized by his peers as a pioneer through his outstanding contributions in dynamic systems and control. Foremost among his achievements is the invention of the root-locus technique, which provides a direct display of system stability and natural characteristics for feedback control systems. Because it codifies very useful frequency information about a feedback system in such intuitive and appealing graphical form, Evans' root-locus technique has enjoyed widespread use in the design of industrial control systems and is now a standard chapter in all foundational text on feedback control systems. Mr. Evans was awarded the prestigious Rufus Oldenburger Medal by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1987 and the Richard E. Bellman Control Heritage Award of the American Automatic Control Council in 1988.

Mr. Evans earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Washington University in 1941 and his Master of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1951. Following his graduation from Washington University he was involved with the General Electric Advanced Engineering Program, returning to Washington University to serve as an instructor in the electrical engineering department from 1946 to 1948.

In 1948, Mr. Evans moved on to Autonetics, a division of North American Aviation, now known as Rockwell International. That same year, he developed the Spirule, a tool used in conjunction with the application of the root-locus method. He later was responsible for the laboratory and flight texts of the first purely inertial navigator in the Inertial Navigator Department. Mr. Evans worked on the technical staff of the Guidance and Control Department of the Re-Entry Systems Operation of the Ford Aeronautic Company from 1959 to 1971. He rejoined Autonetics where he worked on the technical staff of the Strategic Systems Division until his retirement in 1980.

Mr. Evans is the author of Control Systems Dynamics, published in 1954 by McGraw-Hill. He is a member of Sigma Xi. Over the years he has been active in the Boy Scouts of America, the United Way and various church-related activities. The father of four grown children, Mr. Evans lives with his wife, Arline, LA '41, in Whittier, California.


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Julian W. Hill
BSChE '24
Alumni Achievement Award

Julian W. Hill was a forerunner in the demonstration that polymers can be fashioned into filaments and "cold drawn" to orient molecules along a fiber axis to yield fibers of high tensile strength and elastic recovery. He is credited as being the co-inventor of nylon. Dr. Hill is the inventor or co-inventor of 27 patents.

Dr. Hill received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Washington University in 1924. Later that same year he began study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was granted his Ph.D. degree in 1928. Upon graduating from M.I.T., he began working at the Du Pont Company where he remained until his retirement in 1964.

Dr. Hill began his career as a research chemist under the direction of Wallace Carothers, a prominent figure in the history of American chemistry. He is author or co-author of 15 papers published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society between 1930 and 1935. He became a research supervisor in 1937 and moved into research administration in 1942. He transferred out of research in 1951 and was appointed Executive Secretary of the Committee on Educational Aid, serving in that capacity until the end of his tenure at Du Pont. The 10 years following his retirement saw him handling the administration of the Crystal Trust, a charitable foundation.

Dr. Hill has been involved with numerous organizations including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Chemical Society, the Society of Chemical Industry, Sigma Xi, Alpha Chi Sigma, Tau Beta Pi, and Tau Kappa Epsilon. He has served on the boards of several nonprofit organizations relative to conservation and natural history. He and his wife, Mary, have three grown children and reside in Hockessin, Delaware.


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Janet C. Lenz
BSCE '70, MSCE '72
Alumni Achievement Award

Janet C. Lenz is the founder and president of Lenz Engineering, Incorporated, a general civil and site development engineering firm with offices in Boston and St. Louis. IN just under five years, the 35-person company has grown to represent about $55 million in annual construction.

Mrs. Lenz earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Civil Engineering from Washington University, in 1970 and 1972, respectively. As an undergraduate, she ranked first in her class, receiving the Outstanding Junior Award from the Missouri Society of Professional Engineers (1969), the Laclede Steel Award as the outstanding civil engineering senior (1970), the Antoinette Frances Dames Award as outstanding senior in the School of Engineering (1970) and a fellowship from the National Science Foundation (1970-71).

Since 1971 Mrs. Lenz has worked for several engineering firms in St. Louis. Until 1974, she was a project engineer with Lapin-Ellis-Dabler, Incorporated. She served in similar capacities at Horner and Shifrin, Incorporated, until 1978 when she joined Booker and Associates, Incorporated. At Booker, Mrs. Lenz started as a project manager and moved up to Civil Section Chief. IN late 1982 she became Manager of Civil Engineering for May Centers, Incorporated, one of the nation's largest shopping center developers. She started Lenz Engineering, Incorporated, in 1985.

Mrs. Lenz is a five-time recipient of the Outstanding Service Award of the American Society of Civil Engineers and has served as that group's St. Louis Section President. She is a member of the Missouri Society of Professional Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, the American Public Works Association, the Home Builders Association, the International Council of Shopping Centers, the National Council of Engineering Examiners, the St. Louis Regional Commerce and Growth Association and the Florissant Valley Community College Professional Advisory Committee. She is a past board member of the Memorial Home of Elderly Citizens and is active with the Association for Children with Learning Disabilities. The mother of one son, Mrs. Lenz and her husband, Emil, live in St. Louis.


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Robert P. Stupp
BSCE '52
Alumni Achievement Award

Robert P. Stupp is the president and director of Stupp Bros. Bridge & Iron Company, located in St. Louis, Missouri. Established in 1856, the company has spent over 135 years in the fabrication of steel for use in the erection of bridges, buildings, and industrial and power plants. Mr. Stupp is also president of Builders Engineering Company, which is the design engineering division that prepares the drawings for Stupp Bros. Bridge & Iron Company.

Mr. Stupp earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Washington University in 1952. After graduation, he served as an engineer in training with American Bridge Division of United States Steel Corporation. Mr. Stupp is also currently serving as the senior vice president of Stupp Corporation in Louisiana, a firm which manufactures steel line pipe and pipe piling.

An active member of numerous organizations, both professional and civic, Mr. Stupp is presently vice president and a trustee of the Academy of Science of St. Louis, a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and serves on the board of the United States Business Industrial Council. The father of three grown children, Mr. Stupp and his wife, Anne, reside in St. Louis.