Emeritus Professor Cam Coberly dies

Camden Coberly (31K JPG)

Camden Arthur Coberly, Emeritus Professor of Chemical Engineering, died suddenly on December 9, 2001. As a dedicated engineer, he successfully took on many professional roles and activities during his career. In Madison, he was active in department, college and university administration, as well as teaching.

Cam was born on December 21, 1922 in Elizabeth, West Virginia. He married Lenore McComas on June 14, 1946, a union of more than fifty-five years. He received his BS from West Virginia University (1944) before serving in the U.S. Navy as a radar officer (Lt, j.g.) during World War II. He received an MS from Carnegie Mellon and his PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1949. He left Wisconsin to work at Mallinckrodt Chemical Works in St. Louis, MO where he would become their chief engineer.

Cam returned to Madison in 1964 as a professor of chemical engineering, chairing the department from 1968 to 1971. In 1971 he became Associate Dean of the College of Engineering and Executive Director of the Engineering Experiment Station, positions he held for 15 years. He returned to the department in 1986 with formal instructional duties emphasizing transfer operations. As a teacher, Cam was conscientious, caring and approachable. He received the 1990-1991 Outstanding Instructor Award in chemical engineering from the Polygon Engineering Council. He retired to emeritus status in 1992, maintaining an active life style and ties to the department.

As associate dean, Cam helped manage college research funding, various fledgling research centers, and foreign programs, the latter requiring extensive travel. His work on an engineering development program in Surabaya, Indonesia kept him there for months at a time. He also traveled to Colombia, South America, Nigeria, Mexico, the Philippines, India, and Egypt in conjunction with a variety of technical missions. He and Lenore were among the first to visit the People's Republic of China in 1979 and 1980 as members of a UW delegation. He arranged many educational visits of foreign students to Wisconsin, frequently entertaining them in his home.

Throughout his time in Madison, Cam was active in his church, extending its principles to his daily life through help and hospitality to all whom he encountered. Cam's generosity was accompanied by high professional standards. In university matters, he could argue for his points of view, but always put professional behavior above personal concerns. Not surprisingly, he had a wide circle of friends. In small groups, he had a cheerful sense of humor and frequently demonstrated a feeling for the ironic aspects of life.

Cam was a broad thinker with wide practical experience, who respected tradition but could present original points of view not considered by others. For these reasons, he was a valued consultant for a number of industrial concerns. His counsel was sought by those in higher university administration as well. He worked in the associate chancellor's office for several years. Former Chancellor Irving Shain noted he "offered creative solutions to difficult and complex problems. He was a fantastic companion on trips on our missions to China and was an outstanding representative for the college and the university."

Cam regularly attended Rotary Club meetings. He was a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the American Association of Science. He was on the board of directors of many organizations, including the American Society of Engineering Education, and was on the visiting committee of West Virginia University. He was active in other professional societies including the American Chemical Society and many others.

Cam enthusiastically supported Lenore's work in writing and poetry. She remains active in these areas to this day. His four children also received exemplary attention and support from early childhood to maturity. Later in life, Cam baked excellent bread and enjoyed barbecuing. He enjoyed working outdoors, doing all kinds of yard work. He did fine work with wood, building furniture and doing carpentry in his house and for his children. He had a fine ear and enjoyed music, poetry readings, theater, and art. He did all of this while reading over a wide range of subjects, maintaining interest in technology and the concerns of good citizens in all areas.

Without seeming to rush, and with unusual concern about the welfare of others, Cam filled the moments of his life with activity, always with a gleam in his eye and a winning smile until the last day of his life.