SHELBYVILLE, IL. — W. Gene Corley, Ph.D., S.E., P.E.

Formerly of Shelbyville

W. Gene Corley of Glenview, IL, formerly of Shelbyville, IL, passed away peacefully on March 1, 2013. He was 77 years old. Gene was the son of the late Clarence W. and Mary Douthit Corley of Shelbyville, IL. He was married to Lynd Wertheim Corley for 53 years.

He graduated from Shelbyville High School in 1954. He received his B.S. in Civil Engineering (’58), M.S. in Structural Engineering (’60) and Ph.D. in Structural Engineering (’61) from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL. He was president of the Varsity Men’s Glee Club, Bronze Tablet, ROTC, and a member of Alpha Kappa Lambda Fraternity. He was a captain in the Army Corp of Engineers at Fort Belvoir, VA.

Gene served as an elder and deacon of Northminster Presbyterian Church, Evanston, IL, a member of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, Boy Scout Webelo leader, President Cook County District Board the American Red Cross, President of the District 34 Caucus, President Association House Board of Directors. Member of the Kaskaskia and New Buffalo Yacht Clubs. 

Dr. Corley is one of the world’s foremost experts in analyzing buildings damaged by bombs, earthquakes, fire and tornadoes. He led the federal investigation into the September 11, 2001, collapse of the World Trade Center’s twin towers.  He also conducted the investigation of the 1995 collapse of part of the Murrah Federal Building caused by the Oklahoma City bombing, and served as expert advisor during the investigation and trial resulting from the 1993 fatal fire at the Branch Davidian complex in Waco, Texas.

He was a licensed Professional Engineer in 31 states and Canada, Structural Engineer in Illinois, Utah, Civil Engineer California, Hawaii, Chartered Engineer, FI Struct E: UK 

He was a member of the National Academy of Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers: Reinforced Concrete Research Council – Former Member and Secretary, Structural Division Committee on Research – Former Chairman, Committee on Research Needs to Reduce Failure – Former Chairman, Committee on Concrete Bridge Superstructure – Member, Technical Council on Forensic Engineering – Chairman, National Society of Professional Engineers – Fellow National Council of Structural Engineers Associations – Founding Member, Board of Direction, President 1996-97 American Concrete Institute – Honorary: Committee on Simplified Design of Concrete Buildings (ACI 314) – Voting Member, Committee on Standard Building Code (ACI 318-95) – Member, Former Chairman, Committee on Bridge Design – Member and Former Chairman, Committee on Earthquake-Resistant Concrete Bridges – Member, Committee on Limit Design – Former Member, Technical Activities Committee – Former Member, Committee on Deflections – Former Member, Committee on Crossties – Former Member Building Seismic Safety Council – Former Vice-Chairman and Founding Member, Board of Direction Chicago Committee on High Rise Buildings – Member and Former Chairman Earthquake Engineering Research Institute – Great Lakes Chapter – Member and Former President Illinois Building Commission – Former Member, Technical Advisory Group, Illinois Seismic Safety Task Force – Member,Institute for Business & Home Safety – Member,Earthquake Committee, International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering – Member, International Standards Organization
 Committee TC-71, Concrete – Chairman,Mid America Earthquake Center – Member, Board of Directors,National Association of Railroad Safety Consultants and Investigators – Member,National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying – President, 2007-2008, RILEM – Member, Post Tensioning Institute,Technical Activities Board – Former Member,Transportation Research Board, Committee on Design of Concrete Bridge Superstructures – Former Member, Committee on Long-Term Bridge Performance - Member } National Research Council
– Committee for Oversight and Assessment of Blast- effects – Member } Structural Engineers Association of Illinois – Former President } Structural Engineers Institute
– Professional Activities Committee – Chairman, Board of Governors Member } Structural Engineers World Congress – Founding Member, Board of Direction } Governor’s Earthquake Preparedness Task Force (Illinois)

He received numerous awards including:

Ohio State University, Lichtenstein Distinguished Lecture, NCEES, Distinguished Service Award, 2000, 2009, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Stueck Distinguished Lecture, 2009, Chi Epsilon, Honor Member, University of Illinois Chapter, 2008, AAES National Academy of Engineering Award, 2007, Lehigh University Fazlur Rahman Khan Lecture, 2007, ASCE Lifetime Achievement in Design-Opal Award, 2006, University of Illinois Chicago Illini of the Year, 2004, AAES Norm Augustine Award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Communications, 2004, Cornell University, Peter Gergely Lecture, 2003, ASME Chicago Section Outstanding Program, 2003, ASCE Presidents Award, 2003, NSPE Presidents Award, 2003, Cleveland G Brooks Earnest Lecture, 2003, SEAOI Meritorious Publication, 2003, ASCE Forensic Engineer of the Year, 2002, Illinois ASCE Civil Engineer of the Year, 2002, ACI Honorary Member, 2002, Pennsylvania State University -Thomas Kavanagh Lecture, 2002, ASCE Honorary Member, 2001,UIUC College of Engineering, Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2001, National Academy of Engineering, Member, 2000, ACI Alfred E. Lindau Award, 2000, NCSEA Distinguished Service Award, 1999, NCSEA Best Structural Publication Award, 1999, ASCE Outstanding Paper of 1998, Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities, 1998, SEAOI John Parmer Award, 1997, SEAOI Meritorious Publication, 1997, Illinois ACI Henry Crown Award, 1997, UIUC Civil Engineering Distinguished Alumnus Award, 1995, Illinois ASCE Structural Division – Lifetime Achievement Award, 1994, SEAOI Meritorious Publication, 1993
} SEAOI Service Award, 1994
} ACI Phil Ferguson Lecture, 1991
} ACI Henry C. Turner Award, 1989
} ACI Reese Structural Research Award, 1986 } RCRC Arthur J. Boase Award, 1986, ASCE T. Y. Lin Award, 1979
} PCI Martin Korn Award, 1978
} ACI Bloem Award, 1978
} ACI Wason Medal for Research, 1970

He is survived his wife Lynd, children Anne Corley Baum wife of Bradley in Bethlehem, PA, Bob and wife Chris Corley in Arlington Heights, Scott and wife Melissa Corley in Glenview, and 9 grandchildren: Reed, Shay, Catie, Matthew, Samantha, Clare, William, Charlotte and Lilly.

Visitation 4-7 pm Wednesday, March 6, 2013, NH Scott and Hanekamp Funeral Home, 1240 Waukegan Road, Glenview, IL service immediately following at the funeral home. Visitation will also be held from 12-2 p.m. Thursday, March 7, 2013 in Howe and Yockey Funeral Home, Shelbyville, IL with a service in the funeral home at 2:00 p.m. officiated by Dr. David Middleton. Interment will follow in Glenwood Cemetery, Shelbyville, IL with military rites by the Shelby County Honor Guard.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the University of Illinois Foundation,1305 West Green Street, MC-386, Urbana, IL 61801 or Midwest Care Center, 2050 Claire Ct, Glenview, IL 60025 or carecenter.org/make-a-gift

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