Newsletter Archives; Winter 1999
In Memorial
Associate Professor Rowland Messer
Associate Professor Rowland E. "Rolly" Messer died on October 25, 1998. He was a graduate of the UW and served on the faculty of the College of Engineering for 31 years, retiring in 1977.Professor Messer was born on January 1, 1913, in Rolling Bay, WA. He attended Roosevelt High School, graduating in June, 1931. He entered the University of Washington, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in December 1935. From February, 1938 until April, 1939, Professor Messer worked in Washington, D.C., as a naval architect at the U.S. Naval Model Basin. His work there involved propulsion research and machinery design. In May, 1939, Professor Messer returned to the northwest and began working as a marine engineer at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington. He worked at the shipyard throughout World War II.
In June, 1946 Professor Messer began his academic career when he was hired as an acting instructor in the General Engineering Department at the University of Washington. He was appointed an Instructor in September, 1946. Promotion to Assistant Professor in General Engineering came in September , 1953, and promotion to Associate Professor in September, 1957. The General Engineering Department was dissolved in 1971, and Professor Messer was transferred to the faculty of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
During his 31 years on the faculty Professor Messer taught a variety of classes, including engineering graphics, engineering problems and surveying. He was a member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) and of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). He was licensed as a Professional Engineer in the State of Washington.
Professor Messer enjoyed building wooden boats of his own design a nd was a charter member of the wooden boat society. He was an Eagle Scout and a member of the Seattle Mountaineers.
Professor Jay Anderson
In autumn of 1950 he entered the University of Washington to study engineering. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in December 1955. He worked as an industrial engineer at The Boeing Company from 1955 to 1956. In 1956 he was appointed an Instructor in mechanical engineering at the University of Washington, and concurrently began studies for his master's degree. He was an Instructor from 1956 until 1961, when he received his Master's in Mechanical Engineering and was appointed as Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering.Professor Anderson remained on the faculty of the Department of Mechanical Engineering for twenty-one years, retiring in August 1982. During his academic career he taught courses in metal machining, welding, production tooling, machine tool fundamentals, industrial safety, production planning, production methods, manufacturing methods and engineering materials. He also directed a number of students in independent study projects and was thesis supervisor for a number of master's degree candidates. He was very active in the American Welding Society and served for many years as their Technical Representative for the Puget Sound Section. Professor Anderson was also a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Society for Engineering Education and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
A former colleague, Associate Professor Emeritus Paul W. Ford, remembers Professor Anderson as a person who could apply his practical abilities and knowledge in very creative ways. He recalled a project in which Federal highway designers needed air-drag data for a variety of highway trucks. There was no wind tunnel large enough for this project, so Professor Anderson created his own open-air wind tunnel by mounting the trucks on flatbed railroad cars, then having the train vary speed from 5mph to 60 mph to create desired conditions for measurements. Although a number of faculty were involved, Professor Ford recalls that Jay Anderson was the real crew chief of the operation, supervising all aspects of the test from how to safely secure the trucks on the flatcars to the recording of data. The procedures devised by Professor Anderson successfully obtained the necessary data for the project. They also mystified local farmers, who must have wondered why that train loaded with trucks just kept moving back and forth between Stanwood and Mount Vernon.
Professor Anderson died on October 20, 1997, at the age of 77.
Paul Tsai
Paul Tsai, BSME '90, died last year. His employer, General Motors Corporation, is working with the University and the Tsai Family to establish an endowed scholarship in Paul's name as a permanent testament to his outstanding contributions to his field of engineering and his devotion to helping others.Mrs. Louise O. McMinn
Mrs. Louise O. McMinn, wife of Professor Emeritus Bryan T. McMinn, died peacefully on November 3, 1998. She was 98 years old.Professor McMinn was a member of the faculty for 44 years, and served as Chair of the department from 1947 until 1963. He died in 1979.
