Spring Break
Distinguished OSU alum dies
Martin N. Kelley, namesake of Kelley Engineering Center, loses battle with cancer at age 80
Craig Bidiman
Issue date: 7/2/08 Section: News
On June 18, extravagant donor and Oregon State alumnus Martin N. Kelley died of cancer at the age of 80 in his Lake Oswego home.
Kelley, who graduated from Oregon State College in 1950, made a number of contributions to the engineering department at OSU after he left.
In 1990 he presented his first gift of $5 million to the university after his retirement from 42 years as an engineer for Kiewit Engineering in Omaha, Nebraska, where he was the vice president and chief engineer.
This donation came on the heels of him and his wife founding their own philanthropy in the same year.
According to the Gazette Times, Kelley initially made his donations anonymously, but was later convinced to come public with his donations in hopes of encouraging others to step up and support the school.
Keeping up with his generosity, Kelley gave $20 million to the Kelley Engineering Center in 2000, explaining the name of the building which opened in 2005. With this gift, Kelley has helped contribute to OSU becoming one of the top 25 engineering schools in the nation.Currently, OSU is ranked in the top 40.
In an interview with the Gazette Times, Ron Adams, dean of the College of Engineering, said that Kelley launched the transformation of the College of Engineering, creating confidence in a many people, including faculty, staff, and other donors.
In 1998, Kelley was inducted into the OSU Engineering Hall of Fame and was also honored with the E.B. Lemon Distinguished Alumni Award in 2002.
This past March, Kelley received the Lifetime Trustee Award, the OSU Foundation's highest honor.
Kelley worked on a number of projects around the world including large dam engineering, powerhouses, and bridges. He was even one of the engineers who worked on Oregon's Detroit Lake Dam.
Kelley, who graduated from Oregon State College in 1950, made a number of contributions to the engineering department at OSU after he left.
In 1990 he presented his first gift of $5 million to the university after his retirement from 42 years as an engineer for Kiewit Engineering in Omaha, Nebraska, where he was the vice president and chief engineer.
This donation came on the heels of him and his wife founding their own philanthropy in the same year.
According to the Gazette Times, Kelley initially made his donations anonymously, but was later convinced to come public with his donations in hopes of encouraging others to step up and support the school.
Keeping up with his generosity, Kelley gave $20 million to the Kelley Engineering Center in 2000, explaining the name of the building which opened in 2005. With this gift, Kelley has helped contribute to OSU becoming one of the top 25 engineering schools in the nation.Currently, OSU is ranked in the top 40.
In an interview with the Gazette Times, Ron Adams, dean of the College of Engineering, said that Kelley launched the transformation of the College of Engineering, creating confidence in a many people, including faculty, staff, and other donors.
In 1998, Kelley was inducted into the OSU Engineering Hall of Fame and was also honored with the E.B. Lemon Distinguished Alumni Award in 2002.
This past March, Kelley received the Lifetime Trustee Award, the OSU Foundation's highest honor.
Kelley worked on a number of projects around the world including large dam engineering, powerhouses, and bridges. He was even one of the engineers who worked on Oregon's Detroit Lake Dam.
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