At 2:05 p.m. on Friday, June 24, 1994, Fritz and Dolores Russ landed their twin engine Beechcraft Baron at the Ohio University Airport. After tying down the aircraft, the couple took a van to Athens, where they were recognized immediately by a desk clerk at the Ohio University Inn. The Russes had stayed there frequently during recent years, but this was a special visit. A formal program scheduled for the following evening would celebrate naming the 59-year-old College of Engineering in their honor.

A resolution by the University's Board of Trustees earlier in the year had established the name: The Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ College of Engineering and Technology. Of the 20 or so named colleges across the country, this is the only college named after a couple.

Now, several years later the Russes are once again showing their dedication to the engineering discipline and to the acknowledgement of engineering achievements by endowing funds to present the Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize.

The prize is not merely an award presented to an engineer, it represents the pinnacle of success and the hard work and dedication engineers show to truly make the people within society live to their fullest potential.

It is to be certain that both Fritz and Dolores have dedicated their lives to the engineering discipline...not only with donating funds for the development of one of the premiere engineering colleges, but also for the founding of the nation's leading electronic and automation corporation, Systems Research Laboratories (SRL).

Prior to its acquisition by Arvin Industries in 1987, SRL served as a leader in the electronics and automation industries, specializing in computerized electronics and laser technology, artificial intelligence, and projects geared toward the United States government. As SRL entered its forth decade of business, the Russes set new goals based on expanding capabilities to meet the unique needs of their customers in government and industry. National defense, heightened during the Reagan administration, provided the greatest incentive for current growth, but diversification was considered a key to long-range stability.

Both Fritz and Dolores built SRL from the ground up...literally digging the ground to build the foundation, laying the framework, and announcing to the world that it was ready for business. The corporation was successful and expanded coast to coast.

Born on a farm in 1920, Fritz Russ graduated from Ohio University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. In 1942, Fritz Russ married Dolores Houser. Unknowingly, the two grew up 15 miles apart from each other and were birthed by the same family doctor.

Presently retired, the Russes reside between homes in Ohio and Florida, and remain actively involved with Ohio University and engineering education in general.

The above biographical information was excerpted from "The Russ Influence-A Biography of Fritz and Dolores Russ" by David Neal Keller.

Remembering Dr. Fritz Russ
Dr. Fritz J. Russ, alumnus, longtime benefactor and treasured friend of Ohio University and the Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ College of Engineering and Technology, passed away Nov. 3, 2004. He was 84. His innovation, vision and technical expertise spanned an engineering career of more than 55 years and many engineering firsts. Read more...