By C.C. SULLIVAN, Editorial Director
Consulting-Specifying Engineer, 12/01/2000
Modesty
is an important quality in any individual, but Rudolph A. Wolfson, P.E.-Rudy,
to his friends - often seems so humble as to be unconvinced of his standing and
impact on the U.S. engineering scene. The facts belie his unpretentious
demeanor, however: recipient of numerous awards, designer of major
groundbreaking projects and mentor to more young engineers than he cares to
admit, Wolfson is a legend and arguably one of the most important consulting
engineers in the world today.
For
these reasons, Wolfson is also the inaugural recipient of the Integrator of the
Year award, a new honor bestowed by the editors of Consulting-Specifying
Engineer to a P.E. who has demonstrated a career of technical excellence
and a commitment to furthering the profession.
Innovation
and mentorship
Wolfson's
commitment to the profession is legendary, says Kenneth E. Nelson, P.E.,
executive vice president with Clark Dietz Inc., Chicago, and current president
of the Springfield-based Consulting Engineers Council of Illinois (CECI).
"What's special about Rudy is his ability to mentor people of all ages and
to provide leadership while remaining technically involved," he says.
"Rudy is technically outstanding, but what really makes him special is
that he's such a great mentor. He may have been decades older than many he
worked with, but he was always able to relate to them."
"Rudy's
been in business for more than 50 years, and most of the time he has been the
owner of his own consulting firm," adds Don Glays, executive director of
the Darien, Ill.-based Electric Association, which in mid-October bestowed upon
Wolfson their George Nejdl Award for Technical Merit. "The award goes
annually to engineers who have made significant contributions to the
improvement and enhancement of the practice of consulting engineering."
Other
awards and credits include Distinguished Service Awards from the CECI in 1969
and later from the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers. Wolfson also
served as president of the CECI from 1968 to 1969, and he earned a fellowship
at the American Consulting Engineers Council in 1987. He was a member of
numerous national groups, and in 1974, he joined Actual Specifying Engineer
as a consulting editor, a post he held until this year with Consulting-Specifying
Engineer.
But
those are just icing on a very big, multi-layered cake. Wolfson's career began
in 1945 with the Western Electric Co., and at about that time, he helped a
small cadre of leading engineers reestablish the engineer's council, which was
disbanded during World War II. Less than a decade later, he had opened his own
consulting practice, starting four decades of design leadership.
Large-scale
projects
Over
the next 40 years, Wolfson was registered in seven states, and his firm
advanced the science and art of engineering large-scale building systems,
hospitals and industrial facilities. To his credit are three airports, two
rapid-transit upgrades, eight water-treatment plants and several studies in
protective-relaying coordination. Wolfson also pioneered designs for
cogeneration plants, landfill-gas generators and uninterruptible electrical
service for data centers.
Wolfson
still consults two days a week, lending his knowledge of medium-voltage
substations and distribution, large drives and controls, sludge- and
landfill-gas cogeneration, and low-voltage distribution.
He
is best known, however, for the sage advice that has helped many a young
engineer succeed (see "Advice from Rudolph A. Wolfson, P.E.," above).
One of his mentorees, Greeley & Hansen's Stephen Palac, P.E., put it best
in his nomination for Wolfson's most recent award: "The primary reason for
this nomination is his contribution as a mentor and a teacher to the many less
experienced electrical engineers he has worked with," Palac wrote.
"He has taught us much about technical services, but equally importantly,
he has shown us how to communicate our designs and decisions to others ... at
least a dozen electrical engineers write, lay out drawings, and verbally
communicate the way they do in part because of the teachings of Mr.
Wolfson," he added, pointing to another unique legacy of his admirable
career.
Copyright
© 2000 Consulting-Specifying Engineer
Reprinted
with permission