William Grogan

1924 - 2015

William R. Grogan, 90

WORCESTER - William R. Grogan, dean emeritus of undergraduate studies at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), died May 12, 2015 at the age of 90. A visionary leader and bold innovator, he helped design the WPI Plan, the Institute's renowned project-based approach to undergraduate technological education, and led its successful implementation.

Born in 1924 in Lee, Mass., Grogan covered sports for the Berkshire Evening Eagle while in high school. Though he was accepted to the Columbia School of Journalism, he chose, instead to attend WPI, where he could earn a degree and become a commissioned officer through the Navy's wartime V-12 training program.

At WPI, Grogan was class vice president and president and edited the student newspaper. After graduation as a member of the Class of 1946, he served in the Pacific Theater in the final days of World War II and then joined the WPI faculty. After earning an MS in electrical engineering WPI, he returned to active duty during the Korean War.

A master teacher who kept current by consulting for the U.S. Navy, Bell Labs, and General Electric, Grogan grew dissatisfied with WPI's undergraduate curriculum, which had become rigid and undistinguished, and considered leaving WPI in the late 1960s. An opportunity to chair a faculty curriculum study committee convinced him to stay.

That committee pushed through important improvements to the curriculum, but Grogan had the opportunity to bring about much greater change when he joined a faculty planning group that was charged with reconsidering the Institute's approach to education. The group ultimately crafted a radically new project-based undergraduate curriculum known as the WPI Plan.

As WPI's first dean of undergraduate studies, Grogan led a massive effort to implement the Plan, which required replacing virtually every aspect of the undergraduate program. He also helped obtain and served as project manager for a $1.2 million award from the National Science Foundation for the Plan's implementation.

It was also Grogan's responsibility to manage a number of significant changes made to the Plan during his 20 years as dean, including the development and growth of a worldwide network of student residential project centers. After his retirement in 1990, he continued to serve as an advisor at overseas project centers for many years.

Grogan remained active with his fraternity, locally and nationally, throughout his life. He participated in the 1959 merger of Theta Kappa Phi with Phi Kappa to form Phi Kappa Theta and served for a time as president of the national fraternity. He also served for decades as faculty advisor to the WPI chapter.

Grogan's contributions to technological education have been recognized by a number of organizations, including the American Society for Engineering Education, which presented him with three of its most prestigious honors, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, which named him a Fellow and bestowed upon him its Major Educational Innovation Award.

WPI honored Grogan with the Board of Trustees' Award for Outstanding Teaching and he received the first Trustees' Award for Outstanding Service. He also received an honorary doctorate in engineering (1990) and the Presidential Medal (2005). He was honored with the WPI Alumni Association's Robert Goddard '08 Alumni Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement and its Goat's Head Award for Lifetime Commitment to WPI. The association also created the William R. Grogan Award for the Support of the Mission of WPI. The student life wing in the Rubin Campus Canter is named in Grogan's honor.

Grogan leaves his sister, Mary Elizabeth (Betty) McNamara of Great Barrington, Mass., his nephew Tom McNamara of Vallejo, Calif., and his niece, Kathy McNamara of Worcester. He was predeceased by his wife, Mae, and his brother, Ed.

Calling hours are Sunday, May 17, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Athy Memorial Home, 111 Lancaster Street in Worcester. A funeral Mass will take place on Monday, May 18, at 10 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Church, 353 Grove Street in Worcester. Burial will be in St. John's Cemetery, Worcester.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contribution may be made to the Dean Emeritus William R. Grogan '46 Endowed Global Project Scholarship Fund at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Attn: Gift Recording, 100 Institute Road, Worcester MA 01609.