Honorary degree citation - Carl B. Crawford*
By: Paul Fazio, June 1984
Mr. Chancellor, I have the honour to present to you Carl Crawford, distinguished engineer, researcher, and administrator. A man of leadership in the building industry renown both nationally and internationally. A graduate of Queen's University, Northwestern University and Imperial College of the University of London, Carl Crawford is now Director of the Division of Building Research of the National Research Council of Canada, which he joined in 1949.
He carried on his research work while being an inspiring leader to the Geotechnical Section of the Division, of which he was eventually named Chairman. His geotechnical research work began with a pioneering study of Leda Clay which underlies much of the St. Lawrence Valley and the eastern part of the Ottawa River Valley, this being the material in which so many serious landslides have occurred down the years. His fundamental studies into this area have attracted international attention and the results are now widely used by others in the field. In spite of the demands of his administrative duties, which he performed with distinction, his research interests remain lively and active. The success of his work has been endorsed by the Canadian Geotechnical Society when it awarded him the R.F. Legget Award in 1975.
As well as administering the Division and carrying on his research he has been active on no less than eleven Canadian national and local advisory bodies. Among these, the Advisory Committee on Northern Development, the Canadian Construction Association, the Construction Industry Development Council, the Engineering Institute of Canada, and the Standards Council of Canada. I can attest first hand to the impact he has had when articulating his views and recommendations. We have been fortunate to benefit from his advice in the development of Building Engineering at this University.
Furthermore, he has been representing Canada on several international bodies, among these the American Society for Testing and Materials of which he is an Honorary Member and member of the Board of Directors, and from which he received the C.A. Hogentogler Award; the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering for which he was elected Vice President for North America in 1981; and the Conseil International du Bâtiment in which he was appointed to the Board in 1977. Other international involvements include the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand), and the Inter¬national Commission on Large Dams (Canadian National Committee).
Mr. Chancellor, it is a distinct honour and privilege for me, on behalf of the Senate and by the authority of the Board of Governors, to present to you Carl Crawford, that you may confer on him the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa.
