Passings

ALUMNI

Edward W. Ross
(ME ’43), Chicago, in 1960 co-founded Jupiter Industries, Inc., a conglomerate with holdings in real estate, construction, transportation, and other areas. Some 36 years later he and his business partners purchased the Jupiter Realty subsidiary and devoted their time to that interest. In 2007 Ross stepped down as vice chairman of Jupiter Realty Corporation to join his son-in-law in a new Ross family enterprise, J. L. Woode, Ltd., a real estate investment firm. Ross and his late wife, Renee, were two of Illinois Tech’s most devoted donors and Philip Danforth Armour Society members, contributing millions of dollars to scholarship funds, research funds, and the Mies van der Rohe Society. Ross was honored with the 2007 Illinois Tech Alumni Merit Award.

Leonard Reiffel
(EE ’47, M.S. ’48, Ph.D. ’53), Chicago, member of Illinois Tech’s Hall of Fame, may be best known for his invention of the Telestrator, the “television illustrator” widely used by sportscasters to sketch out plays and explanations of games, especially popularized in football. Reiffel also served as group vice president of IIT Research Institute and led the team that developed the world’s first nuclear reactor for industrial research. In the late 1960s Reiffel was deputy director for sciences at NASA Headquarters’ Apollo Program Office.   

Carter H. Manny Jr.
(ARCH ’48), San Rafael, Calif., was an influential architect who began his career at the former Naess & Murphy firm (today, JAHN), where his projects included roles in the design of O’Hare International Airport, the First National Bank of Chicago, and the J. Edgar Hoover Building. Manny was also active in the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, joining as a trustee when the foundation was established in 1956, then advancing to director in 1971, and director emeritus in 1993. He oversaw some $10 million in funding awarded to more than 1,200 projects. 

Charles Berman
IE ’49
New York

Herbert S. Levinson
(CE ’49), Wallingford, Conn., had a nearly 50-year career that included employment with the Chicago Park District, Wilbur Smith and Associates, the University of Connecticut, and Yale University. He was also a transportation consultant through his own practice. A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Levinson served on the academy’s Transportation Research Board from 2003 to 2006 as well as on various standing committees. A 1994 recipient of the Presidential Design Award for Excellence, Levinson received an honorary doctorate from Illinois Tech in 2013. He was a member of the Armour College of Engineering Board of Advisors.

Fred Marcon
(BE ’59), Lantana, Fla., retired in 2002 from his roles as chairman and chief executive officer of Insurance Services Office (ISO), where he worked for more than four decades. Earlier in his career with ISO, he was a regional vice president and before that held positions with other organizations, including the Illinois Inspection and Rating Bureau. After his retirement Marcon continued to serve on the ISO Board of Trustees and became chair of the Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Board of Trustees. He also served on the Illinois Tech Board of Trustees and was given an Award of Merit from the Alumni Association in 1975.

Roy C. Palmer
(LAW ’62), Franklin, N.C., began his career at the Federal Trade Commission, then transitioned into the private sector, opening his own practice and helping such clients as the Visiting Nurses Association and the Illinois State Savings and Loan Association. He was a pioneer in the Native-American gaming industry and made notable contributions toward helping the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin gain gaming rights. At Chicago-Kent College of Law, Palmer and his wife, Susan, established and endowed the Roy C. Palmer Civil Liberties Prize, now in its 11th year, and made additional significant contributions. Palmer was also a member of the college’s board of advisors and served on the boards of Goodwill Industries, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, and others.

EMERITUS FACULTY

Hans Lennart “Len” Pearson
(Ph.D. MATH ’57), Northbrook, Ill., Illinois Tech College of Science emeritus associate professor of mathematics, spent his entire academic career at the university before retiring in 1994. Additionally, he was acting dean of the Graduate School from 1975 to 1977 and dean of graduate studies from 1988 to 1994. Pearson’s students selected him for the Excellence in Teaching Award in both 1969 and 1986, making him the first double-recipient of this honor. From 1969 to 1973 he also served on the Northbrook School District 27 Board of Education.

Harris Berenbaum
(M.S. PSYC ’64, Ph.D. ’68), Highland Park, Ill., was a professor of psychology as well as director of the former Counseling Center and director of the doctoral program in clinical psychology at Illinois Tech. For many years Berenbaum also served as a board member, chair of the Progression Committee, and director of training for the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis. At the Chicago Medical School he served as a psychologist and lecturer. A researcher in psychodiagnostics and psychotherapy, Berenbaum maintained a private practice for more than three decades.

TRUSTEE

Calvin A. “Tink” Campbell Jr.
St. Helena Island, S.C., had a lifelong career in manufacturing management that began at the Enjay Chemical Company (through mergers, now ExxonMobil) in 1961. Ten years later he acquired the Goodman Chemical Corporation, ultimately serving as chairman, president, and chief executive officer. Campbell was a director at many companies, including the Cyprus Amax Minerals Company, Eastman Chemical Company, and Mine Safety Appliance. He was also chair of the Illinois Manufacturers Association and the first small-company CEO to be elected chair of the National Association of Manufacturers. He was elected to the Illinois Tech Board of Trustees in 1986, served as a life trustee from 1996 to 2007, and became trustee emeritus in 2008; he also was a member of the boards of advisors of Armour College of Engineering, the Institute of Design, and Lewis College of Human Sciences. A loyal donor, he funded the Calvin A. Campbell Jr. Heald Scholarship.