Fritz J. Russ, a prominent influence on the Ohio University engineering program, died Wednesday at age 84.
When the engineering college was renamed the Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ College of Engineering and Technology in 1994, Russ and his wife of 62 years, Dolores, became permanent parts of the university they supported for decades.
College of Engineering Dean Dennis Irwin said Russ was an eclectic and accomplished man who worked to improve programs at OU and throughout Ohio.
He was a pilot
a very accomplished engineer and business person and he was a great friend to a lot of us personally and the college in general. He'll be greatly missed Irwin said.
Though Russ graduated from OU in 1942, he continued his involvement with the university in 1973, joining the College of Engineering and Technology Board of Visitors. Since then, he served in various capacities on the Board of Trustees.
At Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Russ invented a firing error indicator for aircraft gun precision. In 1955, Russ and his wife founded Dayton's System Research Laboratories, which became one of the world's most prominent research firms.
Though plans for a memorial service in Russ' honor have not yet been announced, the university will fly flags at half-staff today in his honor.
Today, family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m. at Tobias Funeral Home in Dayton.
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