Dear Ole Miss Civil Engineering Alumni and Friends,

I regret to report to you the passing away of Douglas Stephens Jennings
(1918- 2006), BSCE 1942. Mr. Jennings passed away peacefully on August 9,
2006, at the age of 87. His family sent the following obituary to share with
you. Mr. Jennings visited civil engineering department a couple of years
ago, to give a seminar to students about his engineering experience. We have
fond memory of that.

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Douglas Stephens Jennings (1918- 2006)

BSCE 1942

Douglas Stephens "Doug" Jennings, age 87 of Pensacola, FL, passed away
peacefully of natural causes on August 9, 2006.  Doug was born August 22,
1918 in Williamsville, MS near the town of Kosciusko, where he was reared.
Doug attended the University of Mississippi, where in 1942, he earned his
Bachelor of Science in engineering and in 1943, earned his Bachelor of
Science in civil engineering.  While at Ole Miss, he met Vivion Valentine
Reed of Dyersburg, TN.  They were married on September 27, 1942.  Doug
worked as a civil engineer in multiple states including Virginia, Tennessee,
Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.  During World War II, he served his
country as an engineer at Langley Air Base in Virginia.  He designed the
Morris Ferry Bridge in Franklin County, TN, which was later recognized as
the most beautiful bridge built in 1952 by the American Institute of Steel
Construction.

Doug became the first civil engineer hired by the Chemstrand Corp. in
Pensacola, in February, 1952, where he became the first permanent employee.
Doug supervised the construction of the Chemstrand Plant, which later became
Monsanto (and is now Solutia).  Doug retired from Monsanto as the senior
engineer in 1982.  As an engineer and registered land surveyor, Doug served
the Pensacola community as well as communities in Tennessee and Mississippi.

Doug is survived by his wife, Vivion Reed Jennings, four children, seven
grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.  Doug leaves two sisters, Tinnie
Roby of Kosciusko, MS, and Shirley Skipper of Jackson, MS, and brother
Pellon Jennings of Kosciusko, MS.  He is buried at the family plot at
Parkway Cemetary in Kosciusko, Mississippi.

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I would also like to use this opportunity to report that Mr. Taylor McElroy,
BSCE 1950, visited the department two weeks ago. He brought in and donated
dozens of old engineering books that he used as a student and throughout his
career. These are very interesting books, and some cost something like $1.50
a book! How much the book sellers have inflated the price! Mr. McElroy has a
good chat with the faculty and the Advisory Board members, who happened to
be visiting the department on that day.

Best wishes,

Alex Cheng

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Alexander H.-D. Cheng
Professor and Chair
Department of Civil Engineering
University of Mississippi
P.O. Box 1848
University, MS 38677-1848
Tel: 662-915-5362
Fax: 662-915-5523
Email: acheng@olemiss.edu
URL: http://www.olemiss.edu/~acheng/
http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/civil_eng/