Obituary of Donald Olson

Donald Richard Olson, 94, of State College, passed away peacefully on Monday, December 3, 2012, in his home at Brookline's PineCastle. Born to Harry T. and Gyneth E. Olson in Sargent (Custer County), Nebraska, on December 26, 1917, Donald later moved with his family to the Willamette Valley in Oregon. On June 17, 1944, he married Nancy W. Benton in Hamden, Connecticut. They raised three children and lived in Connecticut for nearly 20 years before moving to State College in 1962. Donald earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Oregon State University in 1942. At Yale University he was awarded a Masters of Engineering in 1944 and Doctor of Engineering in 1951. While at Yale, he served on the mechanical engineering faculty for over 10 years. In 1962 he was appointed Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Penn State and Head of Underwater Power Plants at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL). He taught courses in thermodynamics, heat transfer and power systems and his research demonstrated feasibility of lithium fueled reactors for advanced torpedo power plants. From 1971-1983 Donald was Professor and Department Head of Mechanical Engineering (ME). During this period research grants tripled to more than $1.5 million. During the 10 years after his retirement in 1983, Donald consulted for ARL, wrote a history of underwater power plant systems and addressed problems in torpedo development. He also consulted for ABET accreditation teams; Honeywell, Inc. Defense Systems Division and the Ohio Board of Regents. Throughout his career, Donald emphasized scientific rigor and the highest scholarly standards. He pioneered the use of computer technology, beginning in the 1950s, when he worked on early IBM mainframes. He consistently advocated the use of computers for research and education by placing computer terminals and personal computers in every faculty office in the ME Department at PSU. In 2010 the "Donald R. Olson Trustee Scholarship" for Penn State undergraduate engineering students was established by a former student. Donald is survived by his wife of 68 years, Nancy, and three grown children, Walter H. Olson (Carole) of North Oaks, Minnesota; Sally O. Thiel (Glenn) of State College and Timothy W. Olson (Pam Rocco) of Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Donald was blessed with nine grandchildren (Trista in Oregon and Thad, Trent and Tiffany in Minnesota; Lori in State College, Lani in New York, and Kerri in Virginia; and Andrea and Tyler in Philadelphia) and 12 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by one brother, Harold G. Olson (Wynetta) and two sisters, Meredith L. Carr (Wesley) and Marjorie H. Bowser, all currently living in Oregon. Throughout the years, Donald and Nancy loved traveling, including visits with family in Oregon and trips throughout the U.S, Canada and Europe. A memorial service and celebration of life will be held for Donald on Friday, December 7, 2012 at 1 pm at the State College Presbyterian Church. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home (www.kochfuneralhome.com), State College, Pennsylvania. In lieu of flowers, friends are asked to make a contribution to the "Donald R. Olson Trustee Scholarship", 11 Old Main, University Park, PA 16802 or a charity of their choice.