F. Kenneth “Ken” Iverson 

F. Kenneth “Ken” Iverson earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1947 and an honorary doctorate in 1988. He began his career as a research physicist at International Harvester. Five years later, he transitioned to Illium Corporation, where he served as a chief engineer. Over the next eight years, Iverson held positions at Indiana Steel Products, Cannon-Muskegon, and Coast Metals Company, where he established a spectrographic laboratory, served as chief metallurgist, and was executive vice president, respectively. In 1961, Iverson joined the Nuclear Corporation of America as its general manager. When the company faced bankruptcy five years later, Iverson, heading the only profitable division, was appointed chairman and CEO. Under his leadership, the company underwent significant transformations, including racial integration. Rebranded as Nucor in 1972, the company emerged as America's largest and most prosperous steel producer. Iverson received a National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 1991. Three years later, he was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering, cementing his legacy as a pioneering figure who transformed the steel manufacturing landscape. Purdue presented Iverson with an Outstanding Mechanical Engineer Award in 1991.