HOUGHTON--Bob Thompson, founder of the Thompson-McCully Asphalt Company and a member of the Michigan Tech Board of Control, has been named "Man of the Year" by Engineering News-Record. He will be honored at an Award of Excellence Dinner in New York City April 13. Thompson was also selected by the journal as one of the top 25 newsmakers in the construction industry for 1999.
Thompson, who was appointed to the MTU Board of Control in 1997 by Gov. John Engler, made national headlines last year when he gave $128 million too his former employees after selling the business he founded, which is one of Michigan's largest asphalt and paving contractors.
Thompson also donated $3.5 million to Michigan Tech to establish the Thompson Scholars Program at the University. The gift will fundamentally change the nature of undergraduate engineering education for scholarship recipients by establishing a pavement design, construction, and materials enterprise where students will form a pseudo-engineering company on campus that will mimic a real-life paving firm, with a particular emphasis on asphalt paving. Through the enterprise, Thompson Scholars will gain experience on real-world projects, from developing budgets to solving engineering problems. They will also work as summer interns, gaining valuable experience in the field.
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