Walter E. Blessey Sr.

BLESSEY Lifetime Achievement Award of the New Orleans Branch, American Society of Civil Engineers in 1996, was named the Walter E. Blessey, Sr., Consulting Engineer and Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering at Tulane University, died on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at the age of 90. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth Peterson Blessey. Mr. Blessey received his early education in New Orleans with his professional undergraduate and graduate training at Tulane University's School of Civil Engineering. He lettered in baseball at Fortier High School and Tulane University. After two years of professional experience, he received the appointment of Assistant Professor of Experimental Engineering at Tulane in 1942 prior to receiving a commission in the Civil Engineering Corps of the U.S. Navy Reserve, serving as Plans Officer for Commander Naval Construction Troops, Okinawa. After his Navy discharge in 1946, he was appointed Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at Tulane. In 1956, he was appointed Professor, and in 1959, he was appointed Head of the Civil Engineering Department serving in that capacity until June of 1984 when he retired after forty-two years of service to the University. Mr. Blessey, concurrently with his teaching, carried on an extensive consulting engineering practice in the fields of bridge, structural and foundation engineering which complimented his teaching. He was responsible for the designs of numerous bridges, buildings, wharves and cofferdams throughout Louisiana and the southern United States. As a professor and teacher of young engineers, he firmly believed in teaching what you practice and practicing what you teach. He was a pioneer in structural and foundation engineering in the New Orleans area and was responsible for the design of the first all welded overpass in Louisiana, the Canal Blvd. underpass, West Jefferson General Hospital, numerous pre-stressed and pre-cast concrete bridges and buildings, the use of long high capacity steel and concrete piling, was a consultant on the design of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway and the development of long cylindrical pre-stressed and pre-cast concrete piles. In recognition of his design and research accomplishments, Mr. Blessey was invited in 1959 by UPADI (the Pan American Engineering Society) to lecture on a six week tour of Central and South America, in 1962 by Creole Petroleum Corp. for a two week lecture series in Cali, Columbia, in 1979 for a three week, lecture tour of major cities in China by the Chinese Society of Civil Engineers, and in 1979 by the Australia Institute of Engineers for a four week lecture tour of principal cities in Australia. While in China, Professor Blessey had a one on one nationally televised interview with the Vice-Premier of China. He was the recipient of the Louisiana Engineering Society James M. Todd Technological Accomplishment Medal in 1975, the Outstanding Alumnus of the College of Engineering at Tulane in 1979, and was the recipient of a Special Citation Award in 1977 from the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc. in recognition of "outstanding contribution to the fabricated steel industry." He was a member of the Dean's advisory Committee to the Governor of the State of Louisiana and the Domed Stadium Commission, advising on the design and construction of the New Orleans Superdome. He was a former president of the New Orleans Country Club, a Director of the First Financial Bank, a member of the Board of Administrators of St. Martin's Protestant Episcopal School, Board of Levee Commissioners Orleans Levee Board and Chairman of the Board of Munholland Memorial Methodist Church, Salvation Army Advisory Board, past chairman of the Tulane Emeritus Club, a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars, and a member of the Royal Society of St. George. He also taught the Men's Bible Class at Munholland for twelve years. In 1978, he was elected National President of the American Society of Civil Engineers. In April of 2002, the Civil Engineering Building at Tulane University was named Walter E. Blessey Hall. This was sponsored by over 350 former students from 38 states. In 2004, he was elected to the Louisiana Engineering Society's Wall of Fame. He was a member of the Louisiana Engineering Society and a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He was elected to membership in the honorary engineering societies, Tau Beta Phi and Chi Epsilon and ODK Leadership Fraternity. He was a member of the New Orleans Country Club, Pickwick Club and several carnival organizations. Mr. Blessey was an ardent golfer. He is survived by his son, Walter E. Blessey, Jr., and his wife, Jane Ann Blessey, two granddaughters, Lane E. Blessey (Mrs. Jason) Watkins and Laura A. Blessey (Mrs. Clark) Todd, and five great grandchildren. Relatives and friends are invited to attend Funeral Services on Monday, February 22, 2010 at 1:00 PM at LAKE LAWN METAIRIE FUNERAL HOME, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., visitation from 11:30 until service time. Interment will follow in Metairie Cemetery. Donations to Children's Hospital, 200 Henry Clay Av., NOLA. 70118, preferred. To sign family guestbook, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com.