Thomas R. Irwin, P.E., ’63, Michigan Tech Civil Engineering alumni, was one of the 2014 honorees to join the Michigan Department of Transportation Hall of Honor. Irwin entered the highway construction industry in 1969. He has held prominent positions in state and nation transportation associations throughout his career.
He was president and owner of Hodgkiss & Douma Inc. (H&D) from 1984 to 2005. Irwin believes in continuous knowledge growth and personal involvement in order to develop personally and encourage others to develop. He is past president of the Michigan Road Builders Association (now the Michigan Infrastructure Transportation Association), past president of the Michigan Asphalt Paving Association (now the Asphalt Paving Association of Michigan), past state director of the National Asphalt Paving Association, past state director of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), and past co-chair of ARTBA’s environmental committee. He was past president of the Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech) Fund board of trustees, serving on the board for 11 years. Irwin received Michigan Tech’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2014 and the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce President’s Award in 2003, and other awards throughout the years.
The Hall of Honor, a permanent display in the Van Wagoner Transportation Building in Lansing, was established in 1971 to honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions to developing Michigan’s network of highways, roads, streets, transit systems, railroads, airports, and waterways. Members are elected by a committee representing a wide range of transportation industry organizations. With the inclusion of this year’s honorees, a total of 83 people have been inducted into the Hall of Honor.