 Professor Creighton A. Depew is originally from Minnesota, but he did all of his college work at the University of California, Berkeley. He received his BS in process engineering from UC in 1956, and his MS and PhD degrees in 1957, and 1960, respectively. While pursuing his PhD he also worked as a mechanical engineer at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, Berkeley.
Upon receiving his PhD Professor Depew joined the faculty of the University of Washington as Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering. He moved his family to Seattle and began a thirty-five year university teaching career. During 1964-65 Depew spent eighteen months in Delaware working for the E. I. Du Pont Company under the Ford Foundation Preceptorship program. This program was designed to improve engineering education by providing young faculty with experience in the professional practice in engineering. Professor Depew was notified of his promotion to Associate Professor in 1964 while with Du Pont, and was promoted to Professor in 1972. While at UW he was deeply involved in continuing education programs, teaching courses in air conditioning and a mechanical engineering refresher course to prepare mechanical engineers for their licensing exam.
Professor Depew was recently inducted as a Fellow of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning (ASHRAE), and has held national office in that organization. He is also a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Combustion Institute. He is a member of both Sigma Xi and Phi Beta Kappa Honorary societies.
During his faculty years Professor Depew was an active researcher. His recent research interests were focused on hardly combustible solid materials and strength reduction in composite materials under severe fire environments.
The faculty of the Department of Mechanical Engineering takes note that its colleague, Professor Creighton A. Depew, retired on March 31, 1995 after 35 years of service to the department. His career has been marked by distinguished teaching and instructional innovation in the thermodynamics and heat transfer areas, with specially strong contributions in energy management applications. His efforts to improve undergraduate laboratory instruction have been persistent and effective. Professor Depew made invaluable scholarly contributions to many of the department's laboratory based research programs. Dozens of graduate and undergraduate research students received rigorous and professional instruction in experimental techniques from him. Finally, it is noted that Professor Depew always generously contributed his time and energy to counseling students and to a diverse array of departmental service functions. In recognition of his meritorious service, this Faculty recommends that Professor Creighton A. Depew be appointed Professor Emeritus in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
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