In Memoriam

Remembering a Legend

Former Dean Reid made an impact everywhere he went

On April 14, 2021, the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology received the heartbreaking news that a great man had passed away.

Karl Neville Reid, former dean of CEAT, was among the greatest ambassadors that Oklahoma State University, CEAT and the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) will ever know.

Reid was born on Oct. 10, 1934, in Yellville, Arkansas. He graduated from Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, and enrolled in then-Oklahoma A&M College where he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Reid completed his master’s degree at Oklahoma A&M in 1958. He briefly served in the Army Reserves, and then went on to earn his Doctor of Science degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He served on the faculty at MIT for four years before coming back to OSU.

In 1964, Reid joined the faculty at OSU in MAE, where he excelled in research and teaching, rising to the rank of full professor while working in fluid power control, fluidics and web handling control.

“Karl was interested in people and helping them achieve their aspirations,” said Keith Good, fellow faculty member of MAE and friend. “If you were a student or a faculty member, you did not escape his focus.”

He served as school head of MAE from 1976-1986 before being appointed the dean of CEAT. He served as dean for 25 years, the longest-serving dean for CEAT.

“His greatest passion was helping students become what they were meant to be,” said Dr. Paul Tikalsky, current dean of CEAT. “He enjoyed teaching the introductory engineering course to freshmen on all the degrees they could pursue in CEAT. He spent countless hours with the CEAT Scholars and W.W. Allen Scholars as a mentor and study abroad leader. He was a mentor to many students during his time at OSU.

“He was a champion for CEAT research facilities and was instrumental in bringing the Advanced Technology Research Center and the Helmerich Advanced Technology Research Center to fruition. He understood the necessity of introducing STEM to K-12 students and was an active supporter of FIRST Robotics.” Reid received awards from the Oklahoma Society of Professional Engineers, and is a fellow in the American Society for Mechanical Engineering and the American Society for Engineering Education.

“Faculty research and alum success were important to Karl,” Good said. “He enjoyed supporting students, alums and faculty. This allowed him to let the world know the greatness that was achieved in Oklahoma, at OSU, in CEAT and MAE and he was a proponent of each of these entities.

“Karl was an excellent storyteller and he was always prepared with a story to tell you what good was being done by the faculty and by alums to help lift our state, nation and world,” Good said. “He was a lifter of all.”

Reid was involved in many research efforts. Two of the larger efforts were the National Science Foundation (NSF) Center for System Science and the Web Handling Research Center which was one of the greatest and longest-lived NSF industry/university research centers. Reid’s focus as an engineer was dynamic systems and control. He helped create the NSF Center for System Science to allow mechanical and electrical engineers to understand the dynamics that underlie electrical, fluidic and thermal systems.

He created the Web Handling Research Center as part of a larger initiative to promote automated manufacturing. OSU and MAE gained national and international notoriety from these research centers. He was awarded the ASME Centennial Medallion and selected as the Outstanding Engineer in Oklahoma in 1988. Among his academic credentials are four U.S. patents and 40 journal papers.

“People from across the United States and the world were given cause to attend conferences that gave them reason to come to Oklahoma for the first time,” Good said. “When they got here they learned about the rich Native American culture of Oklahoma and some engineering expertise, because Karl Reid cared about all of it.

“A great man has passed and we live in his shadow. As you live each day and interact with faculty, students, industry and government, remember that it is not all about you. That is the legacy that he would want to leave. He would want others to lift students of all levels, make them better than they were, making MAE, CEAT, OSU and Oklahoma a better place than when you found it.”

A true legend will be missed, but his impact lives on.

Franklin F. Eckhart

Eckhart, of Edmond, Oklahoma passed away Dec. 18, 2020, after a brief battle with cancer.

Eckhart was born on March 18, 1931, to Fred and Hilda Eckhart in Palmerton, Pennsylvania.

After spending his boyhood working on the family farm, Eckhart was the first in his family to attend high school and college, graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in aeronautical engineering.

His interest in aviation was sparked when he was a boy during World War II. Watching movies and newsreels of young men flying through the air in fascinating aircrafts as they destroyed the enemy convinced him that he had to be one of them.

In the fall of 1947, Eckhart attended the local county fair. A pilot was offering local flights in his Ercoupe airplane and took Frank for a flight over his family farm where he saw the farm in a whole new perspective. The pilot even let Frank take the controls.

He was hooked!

After meeting in college, he married Donna J. Eckhart on April 3, 1954. Their marriage endured for 58 years, until Donna’s death in 2012.

They were blessed with five children: Brian, Gale, Kevin, Scot and Franklin Jr.

After graduation from college on an ROTC scholarship, Frank served his country as a naval aviator, flying the S2F submarine hunter/killer during the Cold War.

Frank spent many hours behind the controls of hundreds of planes and logged thousands of hours. He spent many of those hours teaching young military test pilots, some who went on to become astronauts.

He flew with astronauts John Sweigert and Joe Engle on the first in-flight simulation of the shuttle orbiter in 1972. In 1965, Frank was invited to be on hand to watch the launch of the space shuttle Columbia on its seventh orbital flight. Commanding that ship was one of Frank’s former students, Bob Crippen.

Upon fulfilling his commitment to the military, Frank attended Princeton University, where he obtained a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering. He then moved with his growing family to Buffalo, New York, where he went to work as a test pilot for the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratories (later known as Calspan).

His efforts there included much of the early work on the space shuttle, and Frank worked closely with many future astronauts on developing in-flight simulation, particularly of the shuttle’s approach and landing capabilities. He simultaneously flew in the Air National Guard, where he retired at the rank of major.

In the mid-1970s, Frank transitioned to a career in education, and served as an associate professor at Oklahoma State University until his retirement.

OSU wanted to provide aeronautical engineering students with an instructor who had practical knowledge of aeronautical research. This would provide an opportunity for Frank to spend more time with his growing family.

He developed the first airplane test flight test course offered there. After 21 years of service to OSU and to engineering students, he retired in 1996.

The impact he had on his students over the years will always be remembered.

“I will always treasure the “in-flight classroom” experience with Dr. Eckhart!” said Laurette Lahey, a former student. “The stories, lessons and experiential learning provided by him turned dull, theoretical book-learning into practical sense for me. I’m fairly sure I wouldn’t have gotten my first job at Boeing — or as an aerodynamicist anywhere — if it were not for his version of ‘experimental fluids.’ I’ve had plenty of opportunities to compare aerospace engineering curriculums for undergrad programs, and this type of course offering is rarely found outside of military courses. I often highlight his course and teaching methods when discussing what inspired and influenced me. I count myself incredibly fortunate to have had the honor of taking one of his courses. Frank Eckhart is a true hero to me!”

Frank, along with Donna, loved to travel, enjoyed time with family and took great pride in his children and grandchildren. As an example of their love of travel and family, Donna and Frank arranged and paid for a family Caribbean Disney Cruise (including children and grandchildren) and later, a trip to Hawaii.

201 Advanced Technology Research Center Stillwater, OK 74078-5013 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE P A I D

MADISON, WI PERMIT NO. 2223

JOIN OUR DEAN’S CLUB!

Go Pokes!

Dean Paul Tikalsky invites you to become a member of the Dean’s Club! You can join at either the College Club level, the Patron level or the Benefactor level. These are distinguished groups whose gifts benefit the Designated Endowment Program Fund or the CEAT Scholars Program Fund, supporting our college’s top priorities and ensuring a bright future for our students. Please consider making your gift today by returning the enclosed pledge form or visiting osugiving.com/ceatdeansclub. On behalf of our OSU community, you have our deepest appreciation for all you do for OSU and CEAT!