KU engineering school to bestow highest honor on three alumni today

LAWRENCE -- The University of Kansas School of Engineering and its advisory board will honor three of the school's alumni for careers that exemplify professional achievement.

On Thursday, May 8, Marjorie and William Franklin, of Prairie Village, and Jim Patton, of Overland Park, will receive the Distinguished Engineering Service Award at the Adams Alumni Center. The award was created by the KU School of Engineering Advisory Board in 1980 to honor engineering alumni, or engineers who have maintained a close association with the school, for their outstanding contributions to the theories and practices of engineering research and development in new fields of engineering or direction of an organization that has made exceptional contributions in design, production and development.

"The School of Engineering and its advisory board are thrilled to recognize three alumni from this region who've had incredible global impact," said Stuart R. Bell, dean of the KU School of Engineering. "Although each one of them received his or her degree in a different discipline of engineering, they all chose to apply their skills and knowledge to helping the people of this world by creating and maintaining a safer and cleaner environment. All three of them have close ties with the School of Engineering and willingly share their experience to help ensure that future generations of KU engineering alumni are the best they can be. We are truly grateful."

The Franklins and Patton each will receive a bronze sculpture designed by Jon Havener, professor of design in the KU School of Fine Arts. Portraits of the recipients also will become a part of the permanent Distinguished Engineering Service Award display at the engineering school.

Marjorie A. Franklin

Marjorie Franklin, Prairie Village, is co-owner and principal engineer of Franklin Associates. Franklin is the first woman to enroll in and graduate with a degree in aerospace engineering from KU. The Russell native earned her degree in 1956, at a time when women were discouraged from entering traditionally male fields such as engineering.

After raising a family, Franklin applied her extensive engineering skills to the field of municipal solid waste, for which she is internationally known. For more than 20 years she has managed the development of the material-flows methodology for characterizing waste for annual Environmental Protection Agency reports. Her clients have included the EPA, local and state agencies, and private parties.

In 1983, Franklin became president of Franklin Associates. As the nation dipped in recession, she guided Franklin Associates through difficult financial times. Her leadership kept the young company in business and expanded the organization's business base. While she was president of Franklin Associates, she became active in the Solid Waste Processing Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and was the first woman to chair that division. She also is active in a number of other professional and regional organizations.

Her influence within Franklin Associates, where she is co-owner and principal engineer, increased opportunities for female engineers. For years there have been more female than male engineers at the firm.

Franklin continues to have a positive influence at KU, where she is a strong contributor of time, wisdom and financial support. Franklin has been an active member of the School of Engineering Advisory Board for more than 17 years. She was the first female member of the board and the first -- and to date, only -- woman to chair the board. Franklin's numerous KU activities also include the school's Diversity Programs Advisory Board.

William E. Franklin

William "Bill" Franklin, Prairie Village, is president of Franklin Associates. He received his bachelor's degree in geological engineering at KU in 1957. After graduation, Franklin took a position as a petroleum engineer for Cities Service Oil Company in Oklahoma.

In 1965, he earned a master's degree in industrial administration from Purdue University. Soon afterward he was working at the Midwest Research Institute in Kansas City. At MRI, he and colleague Robert Hunt began developing Resource and Environmental Profile Analysis, which later was known worldwide as life-cycle assessment. This approach looks at all environmental aspects of a product, from creation to final disposal.

Franklin left MRI in 1975 to organize Franklin Associates with his wife, Marjorie Franklin, and Robert Hunt. Bill Franklin established nationwide recognition for Franklin Associates in the fields of solid waste management and life-cycle assessment. The team further developed the life-cycle assessment method of evaluating environmental impacts and refined it so the approach is now widely accepted and used in projects sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the United Nations. They have been credited with creating a field "used to guide and inspire improvements in the design of everything from cars to computers to cans." Franklin has made dozens of presentations on life-cycle and solid-waste management in the United States, Europe and Asia. He has written or co-written numerous journal articles and book chapters.

Public service has been an important aspect of Bill Franklin's life. His activities in elected office began in Prairie Village, where he first was elected to the city council and later served as mayor from 1973 to 1979. He was instrumental in moving the community from strictly a bedroom community of Kansas City to a municipality with a more professional city government. He was integral to the appointment of the first city administrator. In 1980, in recognition of his accomplishments and service as mayor, the city named a park in his honor.

He led Franklin Associates as president until 1983, when he was elected to serve on the Johnson County Commission. While he remained active in the firm, he turned leadership over to Marjorie for a number of years.

He was elected to the Johnson County Board of Commissioners in 1983. He served on that board until 1989 and twice was chairman. During his tenure he helped develop funding authority for the Johnson County Library, which brought about seven major library construction projects.

Franklin is involved in several national and regional organizations, and he remains a strong supporter of KU, the School of Engineering and the Kansas Alumni Association.

Bill and Marjorie Franklin have a son and a daughter and four grandchildren.

Jim Patton

Jim Patton, Overland Park, retired in 2002 as president of the Americas Division of Black & Veatch. He earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1964 from KU. He followed that with a master's degree in environmental health engineering, also from KU, in 1969.

Over the past 38 years at Black & Veatch, he progressed through the ranks from designer to project engineer, project manager, partner-in-charge and ultimately president of the Americas Division and member of the Black & Veatch Board of Directors. During the past two decades he has served as the leader of the firm's worldwide environmental practice.

In part due to Patton's efforts and leadership, Black & Veatch sits among the top five of most of the environmental categories compiled for the Engineering News Record rankings. Patton was the architect of the global expansion of the Black & Veatch's environmental practice. He arranged the acquisition of Binnie & Partners of the United Kingdom, greatly adding to Black & Veatch's worldwide presence and environmental activities. This, coupled with additional acquisitions arranged by Patton, have given the firm's environmental practice presence on six continents with 50 offices overseas in addition to the 50 domestic offices.

Patton has been credited with helping giving more than 1 billion people around the world -- including many Kansas residents -- access to safe drinking water or sanitary water disposal services.

Patton has extensive involvement with a variety of professional organizations, including the American Water Works Association, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Consulting Engineers Academy. He has been involved in a variety of regional charitable organizations and willingly shares his time and advice with KU. He serves on the KU School of Engineering Advisory Board and has provided guidance on the KU/KC Engineering Education Advisory Board, the KU Center for Environmental Education and Training Advisory Board. He has been a strong supporter of the School of Engineering and KU Endowment Association.

Patton and his wife, Marilyn, have two sons and three grandchildren.