Bill Lockwood was a prominent Dayton-based Civil Engineer who had strong ties to the Cincinnati area and specifically to the University of Cincinnati. Bill received both his undergraduate and Master of Science degrees in Civil Engineering from UC. Although he moved to Dayton, Ohio, Bill remained active with UC and was an instrumental member of the CAECM Advisory Board. In recognition of the many years of service to the civil engineering profession and to the University, the University has recognized and honored him by awarding Bill the UC Distinguished Alumni Award and establishing an endowment to build the William D. Lockwood Graduate Student Study Room and support the Lockwood Scholarship for UC Civil Engineering students. Despite all the ways that UC has impacted Bill’s technical career, the most important gift UC has given him was his beautiful soul mate and wife of over 60 years – Jackie, whom he met while attending UC.
Throughout his career, Bill founded five nationally recognized companies: W.D. Lockwood Consulting Engineers in 1966, which later became Lockwood, Jones and Beals, Inc. (known today as LJB) in 1972, CON/STEEL Building Systems that pioneered design/build tilt-up construction in 1982, CON/SPAN Bridge Systems in 1985 which helped provide solutions for the nations deteriorating bridges and provide a more sustainable approach to building over streams/waterways over which 10,000 have been installed in the US, and BridgeTek, LLC established in 1994 with Miller-Valentine. In addition to these significant companies, Bill was an innovator – a problem solver with an exuberate amount of passion. This spirit led to the development of 17 patents that brought these new technologies to the market and helped revolutionize the civil engineering and construction industries.
Bill was extremely passionate about civil engineering and problem solving.
Bill workd closely with Tim Beach CON/SPAN Bridge Systems. Under their leadership may young engineers had the opportunity to learn about enginnering, teamwork, and life. Bill’s technical knowledge and ability to explain complex engineering principles in an easy to understand manor was a testament to his ability to lead and mentor young engineers. Every day he came to work with a smile and a large amount of contagious energy. Bill made a personal connection with each one of his employees and made everyone feel as if we were part of his and Jackie’s family. Holiday parties and company functions were personal and celebrated family. People lokied working with Bill.
Throughout his career, Bill received many forms of industry recognition by his peers including Fellow in the American Society of Civil Engineers, Fellow Member Award from the Engineer's Club of Dayton, Member of the Governing Board of the Engineering Science Foundation of Dayton, Member of the Materials and Processes Business Development Committee, and Miami Valley Economic Development Coalition. He was also a member of the Civil Engineering Research Foundation in Washington DC.
One of the reasons Bill was so successful was because he recognized the value of teamwork and collaboration. No one knows that better than his wife, Jackie. The two of them were lifelong teammates who developed ideas and programs in support of Bill's companies, the Dayton Arts, and they established the not-for-profit Lockwood Foundation to expand their philanthropic reach. Unfortunately, Bill became ill and passed away on May 27, 2017. The industry lost a leader from this physical world, but his legacy lives on through the lives he influenced and the structures he built.