In memoriam: Professor Emeritus Carl Larson

1/21/2021

Professor Emeritus Carl S. Larson passed away on January 10. He was also a three-time MechSE alumnus (BSME '56, MSME '58, PhDME '65) and a 2003 Distinguished Alumnus.

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Carl S. Larson
Carl S. Larson

Professor Emeritus Carl S. Larson passed away on January 10. He was also a three-time MechSE alumnus (BSME '56, MSME '58, PhDME '65) and a 2003 Distinguished Alumnus.

In part, his obituary reads, "While completing his graduate work, Carl also began teaching in the classroom and found yet another great passion: working with and educating students. Carl was delighted to join the Illinois faculty full-time as an Assistant Professor in 1965, following his mentors like Jim Bayne and so many others. Carl would rise to Professor before retiring Emeritus in 1994. While he had many highlights throughout his career as a Professor, Carl often cited his integral role in expanding and modernizing the ME Design Course that gave students real-world, practical experience working on projects for companies like Caterpillar as a personal highlight.

"While teaching, Carl also joined the administrative staff in 1974 at Engineering Hall as an Assistant Dean of Students. Carl embarked on a second-career in administration and further expanded on his joy of working with students. Carl’s office, led most of these years by Dean Howard Wakeland, was a special place of friendship and support. While he would be embarrassed mentioning the following, throughout his career at U of I, Carl received accolades that included Outstanding Faculty Member from the Dad’s Association, Honorary Knight of St. Pat’s from the College of Engineering, and the Illinois Athletic Association’s Honorary Varsity I Award. Carl was also an active member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Society of Automotive Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, and the American Society for Engineering Education. Carl also did private consulting for numerous domestic and international clients and was on the Board of Directors for the Capsonic Group."

In 2010, the C.S. Larson Transfer Student Award was established in MechSE to honor the long-time professor of mechanical engineering, assistant dean, and Illinois alumnus. He had served as the primary point of contact for engineering transfer students and worked with community colleges across the state to ensure that their students were prepared for success at Illinois.

Read the full obituary for Professor Larson. 


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This story was published January 21, 2021.