LANGAN Engineering and Environmental Services Legacy Scholarship

Bernard F. Langan, P.E., received his BSCE degree from the University of Detroit, and his MSCE from Purdue University. After serving in the U.S. Army and as an engineer at Woodward- Moorhouse & Associates Consultants, he founded LANGAN Engineering and Environmental Services in 1970. The firm’s integrated geotechnical, environmental and site/civil engineering services have proved successful for decades and have earned many awards for engineering excellence related to innovative foundation systems. Bernie Langan was named Civil Engineer of the Year in 1996 by the New Jersey Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He retired from the firm in 2004.

Dennis J. Leary, P.E., FASCE, enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 19, was stationed in Germany, and honorably discharged as a disabled Korean War Veteran in 1956. After his service, he graduated from Northeastern University with a BSCE degree, conducted research at MIT, and obtained his MSCE from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He began his professional career as a consulting engineer for Woodward-Moorhouse & Associates. In 1972, Leary became a partner at LANGAN Engineering and Environmental Services, where he retired as a partner after 26 years with the firm. His consulting practice brought him to challenging projects throughout the U.S. and around the world, including Egypt, Burma and South America. Leary passed away on May 23, 2014.

Donald J. Murphy, P.E., Ph.D., received his BSCE and MSCE from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, and his doctorate in civil engineering from Duke University. Murphy also did special studies in geotechnical engineering at Harvard University. He served as an adjunct professor of civil engineering, teaching graduate courses on a part-time basis at Columbia University, Rutgers University, Brooklyn Polytechnic and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Murphy was senior vice president, partner and director of International Engineering at Converse, Ward, Davis & Dixon Engineering; and principal-in-charge of Geotechnical Engineering at Dames & Moore Engineering prior to joining LANGAN Engineering and Environmental Services as vice president and partner in June 1985. Murphy had over 30 years of experience in geotechnical, civil and environmental engineering, and worked on projects throughout the U.S., the Middle East, the Far East, South America and the Caribbean. Murphy’s special areas of interest were geotechnical engineering and the civil and environmental engineering aspects of waste management. Murphy was born in the East New York section of Brooklyn before settling in Cranford, New Jersey. He had a passion for travel and scuba diving. Murphy passed away on September 10, 1993.

George P. Kelley, P.E., was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pa., and developed a love for sailing and spending summers in Ocean City, N.J. He attended Duke University and earned a degree in civil engineering in 1965. After two tours in Vietnam in the United States Naval Construction Battalions (“Seabees”) as a Lieutenant from 1965 to 1967, he pursued a master’s in civil engineering from Purdue University and graduated in 1968. Kelley was a member of the four-person founding team of LANGAN Engineering and Environmental Services in 1970. Over the ensuing 48 years, he was a key person at the firm, who helped grow the company into a large, multinational business with over 1,000 employees. He was a passionate leader within the company, and served as the chairman of the Board of Directors for 10 years. His commitment to LANGAN employees is underscored every year with the “George P. Kelley Empowerment Award,” which is given annually to an employee who demonstrates leadership results through empowerment. Kelley’s family, friends and coworkers benefited greatly from his upbeat personality, his relentless optimism and his unlimited energy. These qualities inspired all those who knew him. He was a strong believer in hard work and the power of confidence and positive thinking, which was a winning combination in all of his endeavors. Kelley passed away on June 18, 2018.