Harry Hiram West, who went from Pennsylvania State University civil engineering undergraduate and graduate student to a structural engineering instructor and researcher who retired as professor emeritus in 1997, has died. He was 90.
West, P.E., F.ASCE, spent his childhood in Ringwood, New Jersey, and graduated from nearby Butler High School in 1954. His Penn State bachelor’s degree was earned in 1958 and a master’s in 1961. After military service, he received a doctorate in civil engineering from the University of Illinois in 1967.
As he began his career at Penn State, teaching a variety of courses in structural analysis and design, he also served briefly as a visiting faculty member at the University of Illinois. He authored two textbooks, Analysis of Structures and Fundamentals of Structural Analysis, a second edition of the latter co-authored with Louis Geshwindner, and co-authored a comprehensive history of Penn State's Beaver Stadium. West loved teaching and often referred to his students as his trophies.
West’s research dealt with static and dynamic analysis of suspension bridges and other cable-supported bridge and roof structures, temperature effects in multistory steel frames and prestressed concrete box girders, and overload and failure analysis of prestressed concrete segmental box girder bridges. He also investigated cost-effective bridge strategies, estimations of bridge design life, and consequences of overloads on prestressed concrete highway bridges.
Sought by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for special projects, West developed load factor design and seismic design of highway bridges. He was a registered professional engineer in Pennsylvania as well as an ASCE fellow and life member.
Upon retirement, West volunteered for 16 years teaching in the Science, Technology and Society Program and the College of Engineering at Penn State. In both settings, he taught Structures and Society, a course that he developed on the history of structures and their interface with society.
West’s research on suspension bridges made him a co-recipient of ASCE’s 1970 Moisseiff Award along with Arthur Robinson. He also received ASCE’s Western Electric Fund Award for excellence in instruction of engineering students.
Penn State honored his teaching excellence several times, including with the 1975 Excellent Teaching Award and the 1990 Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Award for distinguished undergraduate teaching.
Family needs came first to West, who was active in the State College Alliance Church, serving as an elder and chairman of the Christian Education Committee.
In 1958, he married Laurel Joy Brutout of Ambridge, Pennsylvania, who survives him.
