Francis Bernard Francois (January 21, 1934 – February 17, 2021) was an American
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
and
lawyer
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
who received recognition for his achievements in the field of
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
and policy leadership in
regional government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
infrastructure
Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and priv ...
and research. In 1999, he was elected to the
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy ...
Webster County, Iowa
Webster County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,999. The county seat is Fort Dodge. The county was established in January 1851, one of 43 counties established by a legislative package. This c ...
and graduated from
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...
with a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in engineering in 1956. He moved to
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
and began his career in 1956 as a patent examiner in the
U.S. Patent Office
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark registration authority for the United States. The USPTO's headquarters are in Alexan ...
. He enrolled in night law school at
The George Washington University
, mottoeng = "God is Our Trust"
, established =
, type = Private federally chartered research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, preside ...
, and earned a law degree in 1960. Francois become a patent advisor for the Applied Physics Laboratory at
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...
in 1959. He was admitted to the Maryland bar in 1960, and practiced patent and trademark law with the firm of Bacon and Thomas from 1962 until 1980.
Prince George's County
Francois became an elected official in
Prince George's County, Maryland
)
, demonym = Prince Georgian
, ZIP codes = 20607–20774
, area codes = 240, 301
, founded date = April 23
, founded year = 1696
, named for = Prince George of Denmark
, leader_title = Executive
, leader_name = Angela D. Alsobroo ...
, in 1962, serving first as Chief
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...
of the Orphan's Court, then a County Commissioner. After the county changed from a County Commissioner to a County Council system, he served 10 years as a member of the County Council. There his special interests included civil rights legislation, fair employment for African Americans, education, problems of the handicapped and senior citizens, fiscal management, recreation and economic and community development. When he announced that he would not run for County Executive in the 1978 Democratic primary, ''The Washington Post'' noted Francois as the council's "philosopher historian", "maverick" and "ambassador to the outside world". Francois represented Prince George's County on the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and he chaired the Joint Policy Steering Committee on the
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro (or simply Metro), formally the Metrorail,Google Books search/preview
Alternatives Analysis Project. With COG he supported and helped coordinate the D.C. Air Pollution Act in 1968, which predated national air quality legislation by several years; he was present for the signing of the bill alongside President Lyndon B. Johnson and Washington DC's first mayor,
Walter Washington
Walter Edward Washington (April 15, 1915 – October 27, 2003) was an American civil servant and politician. After a career in public housing, Washington was the chief executive of Washington, D. C. from 1967 to 1979, serving as the first an ...
. Nationally, he was twice elected president of the National Association of Regional Councils and in 1979–1980 was president of the
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
and said in his inauguration speech as NACo president: "From this day forward, let us never speak of county government as being anything less than the most meaningful and effective form of local government in America, for that is precisely what we are." He concluded that message with a tip to his Irish ancestry, offering an old Irish blessing to the NACo audience.
AASHTO
In 1980, he resigned from the County Council to become executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials ( AASHTO), where he remained until his retirement in 1999. AASHTO said that in his application letter for the executive director's job, Francois wrote: "Never before in history has transportation been more important than in the America of the late 20th century. Our economy, our life-style, the design of our urban and rural areas, and indeed our very survival as a modern nation are all dependent on us having a good transportation system."
He assumed the duties as AASHTO's executive director at a time when the association faced new and daunting challenges with respect to maintaining the nation's multi-modal transportation network. During his nearly 20-year tenure as AASHTO executive director, Francois reasserted the association as the premier technical organization for adopting and issuing highway standards and specifications. He also strengthened its role with respect to setting national transportation policy for all modes, and played a major role in four legislative reauthorization efforts (1981, 1986, 1991, 1996) under the administrations of
President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
,
President George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; p ...
and
President Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again f ...
. He was an important player in the Washington, D.C., debates over transportation policy and helped marshal state departments of transportation activities to push for several major highway and transit bills, capped by the 1998 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, or TEA-21. Francois also further cultivated AASHTO's involvement in international activities, working with global transportation organizations such as the International Road Federation and the
World Road Association
PIARC (World Road Association) is an international forum for the discussion of all aspects of roads and road networks.
Overview
Though established principally for professionals in its 122 member countries round the world, it also provides an ...
. He co-led the Scanning Tour on Transportation Agency Organization and Management sponsored by AASHTO, the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and industry; the tour included meetings with transport agencies in New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, and England.
Other work
In addition to leading AASHTO, Francois supported the transportation profession in many ways, advocating for innovation with the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP), and serving on the executive committee of the
Transportation Research Board
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) is a division of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, formerly the National Research Council of the United States, which serves as an independent adviser to the President of the Unite ...
(TRB). Francois was also one of the cofounders of Intelligent Transportation Study of America (
ITS America
The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) is a Washington, D.C. based membership and advocacy group for the development and deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in the United States. ITS America was esta ...
), where he served a term as its chair and was made an honorary life member of its board. Francois also served on the board of directors of Cambridge Systematics Inc from 2000 to 2010.
Upon Francois' retirement, an announcement from FHWA said "Frank was an unflagging advocate for transportation research and technology innovation" explaining, "From the moment SHRP was first envisioned and at every milestone throughout its research and implementation phases, Frank was there. To many people, Frank ''was'' SHRP."
Awards and honors
In 1973, Francois was recognized by ''
Washingtonian Magazine
''Washingtonian'' is a monthly magazine distributed in the Washington, D.C. area. It was founded in 1965 by Laughlin Phillips and Robert J. Myers. The magazine describes itself as "The Magazine Washington Lives By". The magazine's core focuses are ...
'' as a Washingtonian of the Year.
In 1989, Francois received TRB's W.N. Carey Jr. Award for his leadership in supporting transportation research.
In 1993, he received the
Institute of Transportation Engineers
The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) is an international educational and scientific association of transportation professionals who are responsible for meeting mobility and safety needs. ITE facilitates the application of technology and ...
Theodore M. Matson Memorial Award.
He was elected to the
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy ...
in 1999.
He was also made an honorary lifetime member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers in 2002, which noted at the time that, "Frank's ability to see both sides of an issue – and to issue a verdict that withstands scrutiny – has made him a treasured leader." In 2003, he received the Marston Medal from
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...
.
In 2004, he was named by the
American Road and Transportation Builders Association
The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) is a trade association representing the transportation construction industry in the United States and is based in Washington, D.C., United States.
Established in 1902, the associa ...
as one of the top 100 private-sector design and construction professionals in the U.S. in the 20th Century.
In 2007, Francois was the recipient of TRB's Frank Turner Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Transportation.
On February 4, 1999, U.S. Congressman
Steny Hoyer
Steny Hamilton Hoyer (born June 14, 1939) is an American politician and attorney serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for since 1981 and as House majority leader, House Majority Leader since 2019. A Democrat ...
honored Francois in the ''
Congressional Record
The ''Congressional Record'' is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published by the United States Government Publishing Office and issued when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record Inde ...
'' citing his reputation as "Mr. Goodwrench," "Mr. Fixit", and having "the vision of an allpurpose reformer."
In 2000, AASHTO created the Francis B. Francois Award for Innovation – an award bestowed annually to state departments of transportation that have developed innovative projects.
In September 2021, his alma mater Iowa State University inducted Francois into the Hall of Fame at the Department of Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering. He was one of 26 inductees at the CCEE department's 150th anniversary on campus in Ames, Iowa.
Patents and basketball
Francois was the patent attorney for two boyhood friends, Paul D. Estlund and Kenneth F. Estlund, who received U.S. Patent 4,534,556 for a break-away basketball goal, filed in 1977. He wrote a book about the experience of acquiring the patent for the invention that saved many basketball courts from having broken backboards or bent rims. The invention also likely made it easier for the NCAA to decide on the re-introduction of the
slam dunk
A slam dunk, also simply known as dunk, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by shoving the ball directly through the basket with one ...
as a legal move in college basketball, after it had been banned in 1967.
Many claim the no dunk rule was implemented to keep
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem (alternatively spelled Karim or Kerim) ( ar, کریم) is a common given name and surname of Arabic origin that means "generous", "noble", "honorable". It is also one of the Names of God in Islam in the Quran.
Given name Karim
* Karim A ...
from dominating the college game, but coach
John Wooden
John Robert Wooden (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010) was an American basketball coach and player. Nicknamed the Wizard of Westwood, he won ten National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national championships in a 12-year period as head ...
said, in an interview to the
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
student daily paper, "(Alcindor) didn't cause the change. The NCAA Rules Committee outlawed the dunk because of hanging on the rim, rims bending back, boards breaking and glass down." With the advent of the break-away basketball goal, this was no longer an issue.
Written works
*
*
Personal life
Francois was married to his wife Eileen Mary Francois for 43 years, before her death in 2003. Together they had five children
Joseph
Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...
, Marie, Michael, Monica and
Susan
Susan is a feminine given name, from Persian "Susan" (lily flower), from Egyptian '' sšn'' and Coptic ''shoshen'' meaning "lotus flower", from Hebrew ''Shoshana'' meaning "lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means "rose" and a flower in general), ...
. In 2011 Francois documented his early years growing up on a farm in Barnum Iowa, Webster County as well as his move to the Washington, D.C. metro area, and dedicated his memoir to his wife, 5 children, and 7 grandchildren saying: "Nothing in my life means more to me than these people, and my memoirs are dedicated to them."