Phillip Myers

Myers, Phillip Samuel MIDDLETON - Phillip Samuel Myers passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2006, at home in Middleton. Phil was born in Webber, Kan., to Earl and Sarah Katharine (Breon) Myers on May 8, 1916. He received B.S. degrees from McPherson College and Kansas State University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin. A life-long member of the Church of the Brethren, Phil was a conscientious objector in World War II and chose teaching as alternate service. In 1942, he came to the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UW-Madison, where he spent his entire career. In 1943, Phil married Jean Frances Alford, and their house became a home-away-from-home for many generations of students. Much of his work was done in collaboration with long-time friend and colleague, Professor Otto Uyehara. They co-founded the internationally recognized Engine Research Center in 1946, and over their careers were advisors to several hundred graduate students and fellows, including more than 100 from overseas. Phil also strongly supported undergraduate education and won several awards for teaching. The Myers Automotive Laboratory in the Engineering Centers Building was named in his honor. He and Jean established several funds through UW-Madison, Kansas State, and SAE to recognize and support undergraduate and graduate scholarship, and they endowed a professorship at UW-Madison. In 1969, in the midst of giving away two daughters in marriage, Phil was elected as the first president of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) to come from academia rather than industry. He became a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 1973, and served on the committees that recommended the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for automobile gasoline mileage. Phil was convinced that mileage standards should and could be raised, and he himself owned both first and second generation models of the Toyota Prius. Phil served on the boards of Nelson Industries and Echlin, and he consulted extensively with automobile and engine manufacturers in this country, Europe, and Japan. He was also part of UW-Madison outreach efforts in China, Indonesia, India, and other areas. He officially retired from active teaching in 1986, but continued to maintain his office at the University and was a professor emeritus at his death. He often said, "The teacher hasnt done his job unless the students become smarter than the teacher," and he enjoyed staying in touch with and learning from ex-students turned colleagues around the world. Phil was a man of principle who knew what he believed, but he always listened to and considered the opinions of others with respect. Throughout his life Phil was a teacher, mentor, father, and source of strength to his family, his students, his colleagues, and his friends. In addition to his professional activities, he enjoyed traveling, camping, water skiing, and spending time at the family cottage near Westfield. He is survived by Jean, his wife of 63 years; daughter, Katharine Muirhead of Middleton and her husband Alan; daughter, Elizabeth Baird of Corvallis, Ore., her husband, William, and children, Heather, Scott, and Lisa, Lisas husband, Damien Forkner, and their daughter, Sophie; daughter, Phyllis Rathbone of Phoenix, Ariz., her husband, David and son, Nicholas; son, John of Batavia, Ill., his wife, Ann, and children, Allison and Jack; and son, Mark of Raleigh, N. C., his wife, Denise, and children, Jamie and Danny. Other survivors include his older sister, Gertrude Kern, of Topeka, Kan.; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; and three brothers. The family is grateful for the loving care and support provided by HospiceCare, Inc. The family will receive visitors at the GUNDERSON WEST FUNERAL HOME, 7435 University Ave., Middleton, beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 3, 2006. Immediately following, there will be a Celebration of Life service at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Dr. Phillip S. Myers Memorial Fund, KSU Foundation, 2323 Anderson Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502 or to the UW Foundation, Phil Myers Memorial, US Bank Lockbox, PO Box 78807, Milwaukee, WI 53278-0807. Gunderson West Funeral Home and Cremation Center 7435 University Ave 608-831-6761 www.gundersonfh.com