May 15, 2006 - - A woman who developed aviation education for Michigan public schools, the former engineer-director of the County Road Association of Michigan, a former state transportation director, and the person responsible for establishing the first roadside picnic tables on state land, are among the six transportation leaders who will be inducted Tuesday, May 16 into the Michigan Transportation Hall of Honor. Three honorees will attend the ceremony.
The noon event at the Country Club of Lansing will highlight the annual observance of National Transportation Week in Michigan, May 14-20.
State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle will be the speaker.
The Hall of Honor, a permanent display in the Van Wagoner Transportation Building in Lansing, was established in 1971 to honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions to transportation in Michigan. Members are elected by a committee representing a wide range of transportation industry organizations. There now are a total of 77 people who have been inducted into the Hall of Honor (including this year's six honorees).
This year's honorees are:
Mary Rawlinson Creason, Grand Haven, was key in developing "Come Fly with Me," a curriculum responsible for expanding aviation education in Michigan public schools since 1983. It earned her the Federal Aviation Administration's Administrator's Award for Excellence in 1987. She earned two consecutive presidential appointments to the FAA's Women's Advisory Committee on Aviation, and competed and won honors in the Air Race Classic, a 2,600-mile transcontinental race for women pilots. Creason's 45-year aviation career included 11 years (1977-88) as assistant deputy director of MDOT's Bureau of Aeronautics. She was Michigan state government's first female pilot.
Patrick E. Hackett, Brighton, made outstanding contributions to Michigan's railroads throughout his distinguished legal career of 49 years. His commitment to promoting excellence in railroad transportation in Michigan was evident in his work as a railroad legal advisor, trial lawyer, industry leader and counselor, and public educator. Hackett's trial and appellate work covered a broad range of issues critical to railroads, including: railroad crossing accidents and regulation, employee injury and death cases, labor relations, and interstate commerce. He also authored the Michigan Railroad Code of 1993.
Earl F. Rogers, East Lansing, was engineer-director of the County Road Association of Michigan (CRAM) from 1965 to 1987, during which time he was a principal negotiator in convincing the state legislature to increase funding for local farm-to-market roads. He was a leader in developing the most factual and comprehensive needs study in the history of Michigan, "1970-1990 Michigan Highway Needs." Working with MDOT and the Michigan Municipal League, Rogers spearheaded the Critical Bridge Program in 1972, which received national acclaim for its innovative and objective approach. He pioneered the concept of seasonal roads and was instrumental in developing the Michigan Natural Beauty Road Act in 1970.
Cora V. Taylor, Owosso, was the first female in the U.S. to be issued a chauffeur's license. With her husband, she founded Indian Trails in 1910 as a delivery service that specialized in moving passengers and freight from the Durand Union Train Depot to points around Shiawassee County. She ran the company during World War I and into the 1930s. It was officially incorporated as Indian Trails Bus Lines around 1935. Today, the bus line operates some 54 coaches from facilities in Owosso, Kalamazoo and Metro Detroit.
Robert A. Welke, Coldwater and Beaver Island, was state transportation director in 1996-97 during a critical period of streamlining operations in state government. Welke, who was nationally recognized for his contributions in the use of recycled materials in highway construction, made numerous contributions to Michigan's transportation system during his 40-year career. Under his leadership, the current decentralized structure was established, which included the creation of MDOT's Transportation Service Centers. He also introduced the Adopt-A-Highway program to Michigan, which enlisted volunteer groups to help clean the state's roadsides.
Allan M. Williams, East Lansing, was the first to introduce a roadside picnic table on state land in 1929. Within a few years, rustic tables were installed by the State Highway Department all along the transportation network in both peninsulas. During his 40-year career as a highway engineer, Williams also helped draft Michigan's first official road map for motorists, collaborated in developing the diamond-shaped sign that still designates Michigan highway routes, and pioneered the use of the angled, straight-blade, front-mounted snowplow. In 1926, Williams cut the opening ribbon for the last paved stretch of improved US-16. In 1977, he was asked to perform the same task for the final section of the successor parallel road, I-96.
For more information about the Michigan Transportation Hall of Honor, including previous inductees, visit the MDOT Web site at www.michigan.gov/transportationhallofhonor.
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