Larry Harland Strom |
| Posted 2008-11-15 by Judy Wight Branson |
| The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Tuesday, September 26, 2006 Dr. Larry Strom was born on October 16, 1942, in the Copper Queen Hospital in Bisbee, Arizona, to John Albin (Al) Strom and Winifred (Wynne) Strom. Larry completed his contract with this earthly life on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2006, while on a motorcycle excursion in New Mexico. After graduation in 1964 from Arizona State College at Flagstaff (now Northern Arizona University), Larry was employed by the U.S. Geological Survey Center of Astrogeology as an engineering technician. While employed at "Astro," Larry worked on the Ranger, Orbiter, Surveyor and Apollo space missions. His primary responsibilities included the development of geophysical instrument prototypes used for lunar exploration. Upon completion of his work at Astrogeology, and a master's degree at Northern Arizona University, Larry accepted a fellowship to attend the University of Missouri at Columbia to study toward a doctoral degree in Industrial Technology. Larry received two degrees from the University of Missouri, an Educational Specialist degree (1969) and a Doctor of Education degree (1978). Dr. Strom's dissertation was selected as the outstanding doctoral study at the University of Missouri for the decade of the seventies. His study was the first to use sophisticated multivariate analysis of variance processes in an educational study. Larry was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial Technology, School of Engineering and Computer Science, at California State University in Chico, from 1969 to 1976. Larry always took pride in how he "put the student first." He kept in contact with students he had in his very first Engineering Graphics class at Chico State. He was part of a team that initated the Construction Management and Management programs at Chico State. From 1976 to 1999, Larry was on the faculty of Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona. While at Yavapai, Larry helped establish the following programs: Yavapai Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa; Yavapai College Student Chapter 119, Society of Manufacturing Engineers (three times selected as the outstanding chapter in the United States); Yavapai College VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America) Chapter; Circle K; Manufacturing Technology; Manufacturing Product Planning; Manufacturing Materials Processing; Solar Technology; Construction Technology; and Gunsmithing. Larry enjoyed taking his students on field trips to high technology sites. Field trips were conducted to Airesearch; JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory); Hughes Missile and Space; TRW - One Space Park; Lockheed; Edwards Air Force Base (visited every Orbiter while being fabricated); Northrop; AlliedSignal Aerospace; Universal Propulsion; Digital; Honeywell; Intel; Orbital Sciences;, Motorola; McDonnel Douglas Aircraft; Disneyland (toured the catacombs under the amusement park that held automation equipment that provided the "magic" for the "Magic Kingdom"); TRW - Mesa; Revlon; GeneralMotors' Corvette Plant, Bowling Green, Kentucky; Ford Motors' Large Truck Plants Louisville, Kentucky; Los Alaroos National Laboratory; and AlliedSignal, Kansas City, Missouri (Nuclear Weapons Plant.) Larry had an active professional life. "He held offices in a number of professional organizations including Chairman, Region VII (11 western states) Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME); Chairman, International Education Committee, SME; Chairman, Phoenix Chapter, SME; President, Yavapai Chapter, Phi Delta Kappa; President, Arizona Technology and Industry Education Association; and President, Yavapai College Faculty Association. Larry was an active member in a number of professional orginizations, serving on committees, planning and delivering conferences, and assisting in the successful operation of the organization. Organizations included California Council of Industrial Technical Teacher Educators; California Industrial Education Association; International Technology Education Association; American Council of Technical Teacher Educators (life member); American Vocational Association; and Arizona Vocational Association. Larry also received a number of honors including Universtiy of Missouri Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation (1970 Decade); Outstanding Young Men in America Award (1977); Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Achievement Award (1981); National Society of Professional Engineers / California Society of Professional Engineers Contributions to Engineering Profession Award (1984); Society of Manufacturing Engineers Region VII Outstanding Contributions to the Engineering and Scientific Profession Award (1985); Los Angeles Council of Scientist and Engineers Distinguished Achievements Award (1985); Arizona Technology and Industry Education Association Outstanding Leadership Award (1995); and Epsilon Pi Tau Laureate Citation (1997). He is survived by his father and mother, John Albin (Al) Strom and Winifred (Wynne) Strom, of Prescott; brother John Strom (Jo Ann) of Victorville, Calif.; daughter Heidi Strom Moon (Ken) and granddaughter Julia Moon of Silver Spring, Md.; daughter (Wendy) Jo Strom Lane (Derek) of Portland, Ore.; longtime companion Arminta Tupper; extended family members; and many longtime friends, colleagues, students, and loved ones. Those persons wishing to give their condolences may send cards to 535 Mesa Dr. in Prescott, Ariz., 86303. The family requests in lieu of flowers, commemorative contributions be made to Yavapai Exceptional Industries, 436 N. Washington Ave., Prescott, Ariz., 86303. A memorial service honoring Larry's life will be announced at a later time. |
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