2005 Recipients
Howard G. Freeman '40
Howard Freeman, for sixty-five years your dedication to your alma mater has known no bounds. As an involved and loyal volunteer, as a distinguished and effective leader, as a caring mentor to decades of students, and as a gracious and generous philanthropist, you have epitomized all that one could hope for in a WPI alumnus and friend.
You entered WPI in 1936 with the sobering experience of the Great Depression behind you, and the bright promise of educational opportunities to come. You financed your education with scholarships, loans, and a 35-hour-a-week job washing dishes at a local boarding house, and you found your special niche through football, debating, and study in mechanical engineering. You graduated in 1940 and embarked on a career as one of WPI's most successful inventors and business entrepreneurs.
As director of research for Rockwood Sprinkler Company, you received some 20 patents, including one for your invention of the fog nozzle, a device that created a mist that effectively smothered oil fires. The invention is credited with saving many ships and thousands of lives in the U.S. Naval fleet during World War II.
In 1954 you left Rockwood and co-founded Jamesbury Corporation to manufacture another of your inventions, a flexible seal that made ball valves more durable and reliable. Your invention revolutionized the valve industry and Jamesbury flourished - so quickly, in fact, that you had to seek larger quarters three times during your first three years of operation. When you sold the company in 1984, its nearly $80 million in annual sales and more than 1,200 employees made it one of the world's largest valve manufacturing firms.
You have said on many occasions how grateful you are for the WPI education you received, and you have dedicated yourself to serving your alma mater. You were elected to the Board of Trustees in 1969 as the WPI Plan was developing, and you frequently traveled to speak to alumni groups about its importance.
In 1984 you were elected chair by your fellow trustees. During your tenure the WPI endowment grew from $55 million to over $100 million, financial aid was doubled, and Fuller Labs, Founders Hall, and new athletic fields were completed. You also led The Campaign for Excellence, helping the university raise a record $63.7 million.
But perhaps your most enduring contributions to WPI are also the most personal. You established the Howard G. Freeman Scholarship Fund, and over the past 25 years you and your wife and partner, Esther, have made it a priority, and a joyful experience, to spend time with dozens of Freeman scholars. Their WPI experience has been enriched not only by your financial assistance, but through the experience of knowing you.
Howard Freeman, on the occasion of your 65th Reunion, it is with great pleasure and true pride that WPI bestows upon you the Herbert F. Taylor Award in grateful recognition of your distinguished service and commitment to your alma mater.
Robert H. Cahill '65
Bob Cahill, your loyalty, dedication, and enthusiastic support have been the hallmarks of your involvement with your alma mater. Though you've pursued your career far from campus, you have managed to be an active and influential volunteer - one who has had a significant impact on this university.
Your relationship with WPI began in 1961 when you enrolled as a freshman. A member of Phi Kappa Theta fraternity and an active participant in student government, you were recognized early on as a leader by your classmates, who elected you class president in your freshman and sophomore years. Upon graduating with a degree in civil engineering, you entered the U.S. Navy Seabees and served with the 3rd Marine Division in Vietnam, where you earned the Purple Heart and the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V. In 1970 you attended the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, earning an MBA in marketing.
Your career began in the sales and marketing arena, but before long you rose to significant leadership positions in several companies, including Adage Inc., which you served as president and CEO. Currently you are chairman of International Seal and Packing Co., a distributor of hydraulic seals, and president of Homalite, a manufacturer of optical plastics. You also serve on the board of directors of Cookson Door and on the advisory board of the Republic Bank of Delaware. The motivation and leadership you have provided to all these corporations has been extraordinary.
Despite your busy career, you have always made time for WPI. In fact, many would say you are in a class by yourself as you cheer for WPI and inspire the university. You have been a member of countless class committees and have served as chair of several class gift campaigns. Most notable is your recent work on your 35th and 40th Reunion gift campaigns. Your hard work and enlightened leadership as chair of both of these efforts, raised significant dollars that will have a lasting impact on those at the heart of this university - the students and the faculty. Through the years you have also worked as an alumni admissions representative, recruiting bright, talented students to your beloved alma mater. Ever the optimist, you view no job as too big or too daunting. You have always been willing to lend a hand to help WPI and remain dedicated to its continued success.
Bob Cahill, for your passion and commitment to WPI in so many ways, we are honored to present you with the Herbert F. Taylor Award for Distinguished Service to WPI.
Philip B. Ryan '65
Phil Ryan, you have served in a variety of roles over the years that have had significant impact on your alma mater and your class. In all that you have done, your loyalty, your commitment, and your affection for WPI have been conspicuous by their intensity over the years.
After earning a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, you began your career with Humble Oil. In 1970 you received an MBA from Harvard Business School, and soon after became an owner and officer of the Bigelow Company, a management consulting and private investment banking firm. From 1990 through 1997 you served as president of Optima Health and CEO of Elliot Health System, managing hospitals, an outpatient surgery center, an assisted living facility, and physicians' practices, among other operations. In 1998 you formed P. B. Ryan Associates, LLC, a strategic consulting and private investment company focused on enhancing the value of entrepreneurial firms. Currently, you are CEO of Merchants Automotive Group, a privately owned diversified transportation company with activities in corporate fleet leasing, new and used vehicle sales, and real estate investments.
Your engagement with WPI began the day you strode onto campus as a freshman. Your long list of activities includes the Student Activities Board, Student Government Association, Tech News, Newman Club, and Varsity Club; you also participated in sailing and played varsity hockey. You belonged to Phi Kappa Theta fraternity, and you were selected a member of Skull in recognition of your leadership.
Though busy with your career, family, and other interests, you always found time to make WPI a priority. Starting in the early 1970s, you served as a class agent and Reunion Committee chair. As a member of WPI's Management Board of Advisors, your keen business sense was a valuable asset to the department. During the 1980s, WPI benefited from your expertise as you chaired the Alumni Association's Public Relations Committee and served on the Corporate Relations Advisory Committee.
You enthusiastically stepped up to the plate as you chaired your 20th Reunion in 1985. Five years later you chaired the 25th Reunion Gift Committee; your management of that effort led your class to raise a record setting $282,215 with a participation rate of 62 percent. In preparation for your 40th Reunion, you served on the Steering Committee for your class.
Beyond your commitment to your class, you have provided longtime service as a member of the Alumni Association's Executive and Trustee Search committees. In 1999 you were elected to membership on WPI's Board of Trustees, where you are currently a member of the Executive Committee.
Phil Ryan, your dedication to your fellow classmates, to WPI, and to your community has set a standard for volunteerism and involvement. It is a privilege to present to you the Herbert F. Taylor Alumni Award for Distinguished Service to WPI.
Patricia Graham Flaherty '75
Pat Flaherty, WPI pioneer and dedicated champion for new opportunities for women students and athletes, a full account of your accomplishments and your service to your alma mater would fill many pages.
Like your brothers, David '76, Gary '77, and Alan '79, you were drawn to a school in the midst of two historic changes: enrolling women for the first time (you were a member of WPI's fourth co-ed class) and rolling out the WPI Plan (yours was the first class to have the option to study under this pioneering academic program). You thrived academically, earning membership in Skull and Tau Beta Pi and winning the coveted Two Towers Prize, and earned the respect of your classmates, who elected you class president in your sophomore year. The first woman to hold that office, you remained class president until graduation.
Finding that WPI had no formal sports program for women, you took the initiative to launch club teams in basketball, softball, and field hockey, and participated as team member, captain, and coach. Later, you were instrumental in the drive to elevate women's sports to the varsity level. In recognition of your tireless advocacy for women's athletics, the university, in 1978, established the Patricia A. Graham Sportsmanship Award , which honors outstanding senior woman athletes; in 1993, you were inducted into the WPI Athletic Hall of Fame.
As an alumni leader, you chaired numerous committees and task forces to advance WPI's mission, and you served as an officer in the Worcester County Regional Club and president of the Poly Club. You reached out to WPI students by spearheading the formation of the Student Alumni Society and by speaking at Career Day panels. The Alumni Association recognized your achievements in 1985 with the John Boynton Young Alumni Award for Service to WPI; in 1999, you made history as the first woman to serve as the association's president.
Hard work and dedication have also been the hallmarks of your career. After receiving a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a master's in civil engineering from WPI, you taught high school and college math, worked as a systems analyst for Cincinnati Milacron / Heald Machine Co., served WPI as information systems project manager, then started your own successful business, Graham Flaherty Information Management Consulting.
Pat Flaherty, in recognition of your many years of unselfish devotion to your alma mater, your tireless service as a loyal volunteer for the Alumni Association, and your pioneering efforts to further the cause of women's athletics at WPI, it is our great pleasure to present you with the Herbert F. Taylor Award for Distinguished Service to WPI.
Maintained by webmaster@wpi.eduLast modified: February 22, 2007 16:35:40