John S. Hassell Jr. (May 3, 1943 – October 11, 2011) was an American

civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing i ...

. He became Associate Administrator for Planning in 1977, Deputy Federal Highway Administrator in 1978, and Administrator on July 11, 1980. Prior to his federal career, Hassell served the public as an engineer and planner for the

Georgia Department of Transportation The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is the organization in charge of developing and maintaining all state and federal roadways in the U.S. state of Georgia. In addition to highways, the department also has a limited role in developi ...

. He also had a bachelor's and master's degree in civil engineering from the

Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

. Under Hassell's tenure, the

Federal Highway Administration The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program ...

: *Resolved controversial highway projects consistent with Administration policy so that major sections of the Interstate System could move toward completion. *Improved highway safety by emphasizing the importance of safety in all Agency programs. *Increased energy conservation by greatly enhancing the ridesharing program, developing and implementing measures to encourage use of high occupancy vehicles, and improving traffic operations through expanded use of Transportation System Management measures. *Achieved significant gains in furthering career opportunities for women and minorities throughout the Agency and substantially increased the accomplishments of the Minority Business Enterprise Program. *Developed and implemented a management-by-objectives program and implemented the 1979 Civil Services Reform Act to improve the Agency's management and efficiency. On October 10, 2011, Hassell died at the Mary Washington Hospital in

Fredericksburg, Virginia Fredericksburg is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,982. The Bureau of Economic Analysis of the United States Department of Commerce combines the city of Fredericksburg wi ...

.http://www.pinesfuneral.com/obits/obituary.php?id=535716

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hassell, John S Jr 1943 births 2011 deaths Administrators of the Federal Highway Administration American civil engineers Carter administration personnel Reagan administration personnel