Prof. Fred McGarry retired from MIT this past June, after more than 50 years at the Institute as an undergraduate, graduate student, Research Assistant, Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor. Prof. McGarry is a Vermont native, and graduated from a joint undergraduate program between MIT and Middlebury College in Vermont. He continued at MIT for graduate studies, earning an SM degree and becoming associated with Prof. Al Dietz, an early pioneer in the use of composite materials for construction. Fred then joined the faculty as a member of the Materials of Construction Division in Civil Engineering, eventually--as he put it--negotiating the academic minefields to Professor rank. In 1975, he moved to the Materials Science and Engineering Department, maintaining a joint appointment with Civil Engineering.
Prof. McGarry’s scholarly activities have centered on polymer engineering, to include fiber-reinforced composites. He is well known for many pioneering contributions in this field, perhaps most notably the development of rubber toughening in thermosetting resins. This is a vital part of modern composites technology. He worked effectively with industrial colleagues in this effort, and a very strong association with the plastics industry has always been a part of Prof. McGarry’s work at MIT. Several industry-leading firms have employed him for many years as a principal consultant and sponsored his on-campus research.
His very active research and consulting career did not keep him from making many contributions to teaching and administration at MIT. He has always taught double the usual teaching load for Departmental faculty, and several of his subjects, such as 3.91 Mechanical Properties of Plastics and 3.92 Composite Materials, have been foundational subjects for graduate students in this field. His administrative activities have included a term as Secretary of the Institute Faculty, Chairman of the ROTC and Parking Committees, Director of the Program in Polymer Science and Technology (PPST), and Director of the MIT Summer Session.
Prof. McGarry’s contributions to MIT and to the plastics industry are truly outstanding.