Fred Morse - Office of Professional Practice - Purdue University

Originally from northern California, Morse came to Purdue as a graduate teaching assistant in December 1945 after serving in the United States Army during World War II. He earned his master’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1947 and served as an instructor in the School of Mechanical Engineering for nearly 40 years, retiring as a full professor.

In 1954, Morse administered the initial work-study plan for a pilot program in cooperative education that was comprised of eight mechanical engineering undergraduate students and seven industrial employers. Over the course of the next several years, the program expanded to include all of the engineering schools, and Morse served as the first director of the Purdue University Cooperative Engineering Education Program from 1964-69. Under his guidance, the Co-op Program grew to include hundreds of students and industrial partners.

Morse was a member of the Indiana Society of Professional Engineers, serving as association president in 1959. He served two years as director of the National Society of Professional Engineers and consulted for numerous corporations and state agencies in the field of heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC).

Morse was widely respected as an HVAC expert, but what he truly cherished were the relationships with his students that he maintained long after they departed West Lafayette. In 1971, Morse was awarded the Harry L. Solberg Best Teacher Award in Mechanical Engineering and the Dean A. A. Potter Best Engineering Teacher Award.

Morse died in April 2004 and was represented by daughters Tamara E. Morse and Linda A. Morse at the award ceremony.