Hammontree, R. James and Irene Endowment in Engineering
R. James (Jim) and Irene Hammontree established The R. James and Irene Hammontree Endowment in Engineering to encourage young engineers to pursue both academic and professional excellence. Jim, a 1957 civil engineering graduate, is founder of Hammontree and Associates, a full-service civil engineering firm based in Northeast Ohio. In developing his career and his company, Jim subscribed to the highest ethical and professional constraints, achieving recognition throughout the region and the state. Later, as Hammontree and Associates and its reputation grew, offices were established in other states and international contracts were secured.
Underpinning Jim's career development and the growth of Hammontree and Associates is Jim's strong belief in the value of being both a degreed engineer and achieving licensure as a professional engineer. In establishing this endowment, it is the Hammontree's hope to engender this same sense of value in upcoming generations of engineering professionals at The University of Akron.