Leonard Wood - Office of Professional Practice - Purdue University

Originally from Burr Oak, Kansas, Leonard Wood arrived in West Lafayette in 1953 after earning undergraduate and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from Kansas State University. He initially served as a part-time graduate assistant at Purdue while working toward a PhD in civil engineering. After completing the requirements for his PhD in 1956, he joined the Purdue faculty in the School of Civil Engineering, specializing in the areas of asphalt and bituminous materials and mixtures, including road and highway safety.

In 1989, he became the coordinator of the Co-op Program in the School of Civil Engineering, a perfect fit as his teaching career had always centered on students and this gave him the opportunity to work more closely with them. Wood’s office door was always open. He often remained after hours, and it was not at all uncommon for Wood to spend evenings attending student meetings and other social activities in support of students.

Wood’s work with the Co-op Program was legendary, and he was known to monitor his students’ progress long after they graduated from Purdue. When traveling, Wood would even make a habit of visiting former students, happily noting their career achievements.

Under Wood’s leadership, the Co-op Program within the School of Civil Engineering grew from 27 students in 1989 to 150 students in 1993, the year he retired as a Purdue faculty member. Even after retirement, he continued in his role as director of the civil engineering Co-op Program until 2004, the year he died.

During his distinguished career at Purdue University, Wood served as more than an instructor. He was a mentor, a counselor, a teacher and a friend who was truly dedicated to students. He was represented at the ceremony by wife Margaret R. Wood.