Profile: Cherry ’58 Recognized for Lifetime Achievement in Engineering

In recognition of outstanding accomplishments in a civil engineering career spanning more than 50 years, Doug Cherry ’58 received the Dr. John L. Buzzi Award for Engineering Excellence from the New Jersey Alliance for Action (NJAFA) in 2013 and was the fi rst recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Jersey chapter of American Council of Engineering Companies.

NJAFA is a coalition of more than 2,500 business, professional, academic, and government leaders. The New Jersey chapter of ACEC includes 115 fi rms employing more than 5,500 people.

Cherry’s experience includes serving as a highway and bridge designer for Penn DOT as well as municipal engineer for Phillipsburg, N.J., and county engineer for Hunterdon County, N.J. He founded C. Douglas Cherry & Associates (now Cherry, Weber & Associates) in 1970 where he served as president and CEO until his
retirement in 2011. The fi rm established a scholarship in his name, which is awarded to a student in the field of engineering who exemplifies Cherry’s commitment to community, profession, and society.

A civil engineering graduate, Cherry holds a master’s in civil engineering from NJIT. He was inducted into the College of Fellows in 2011 by the American Council of Engineering Companies, having been selected from a membership of more than 500,000 representing more than 5,000 engineering firms.

For his dedication and generosity to the College, the C. Douglas Cherry Room in Pfenning Alumni Center is named in his honor. A member of Lafayette Leadership Council and Maroon Club, he is also a consistent supporter of the engineering program and has sponsored a member of the football team for the past six years. The College recently completed the 16th annual Doug Cherry Wrestling Tournament, named in his honor.

Growing up with an interest in creating and building things, Cherry was destined to become an engineer. A graduate of Abington High School, he applied to three all-male colleges with strong engineering programs. “Lafayette was my first choice because it also had a top competitive wrestling program and 19 fraternities.”

As an undergraduate, Cherry was on the varsity wrestling team, serving as co-captain in 1958. He was also a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity and later served as national vice president. He will be presented with the organization’s alumni achievement award in New Orleans in July.

“When I started my career and interacted with other engineers, I found that my technical knowledge was equal to or better than my peers,” he says. “My fraternity experience made it easy to interact with the public and fellow engineers. The wrestling program gave me the confidence to tie everything together and prepare for the next level.”

For many years, Cherry’s hobby was restoring cars. A 1954 Corvette that he restored by hand from 1975 to 1979, took 20 first and 13 best-of-shows in 1980. The polo white convertible with red interior also received two National Corvette Restorers Society “Top Flight” awards.

Cherry has received many other professional awards and been an officer in a variety of organizations including New Jersey Society of Professional Engineers and Consulting Engineers Council of New Jersey. In addition, he is a director of the Phillipsburg Urban Enterprise Zone Committee, served 15 years on the board of United Trust Bank (later sold to PNC Bank), and was chair of the Phillipsburg Planning Board.