“H. Gilbert Harlow was a Renaissance man long before the term was coined. His diverse interests and wonderful teaching ability helped define what a liberal arts or engineering education should be and how the two could best be integrated,” said Thomas K. Jewell, professor of civil engineering, who presented the medal.
Harlow, 91, arrived at Union in 1940 and taught until 1993, well after his “retirement” in 1984. He spent 29 years as chair of civil engineering, making him what is believed to be the longest-serving department chair.
Harlow was lauded by many for his dedication to the College, his department and his students. As one emeritus colleague reported, “Gil was a committed teacher and a fair, honorable colleague, always prepared to examine a proposal on its merits instead of on its political benefits. He was one of those who made the place a community.”
Harlow was a nationally known horticulturalist, the unofficial movie photographer for the football team, and the person largely responsible for the initiative to replant the campus after Dutch Elm disease took its toll in the 1950s.