Obituary: Former ASCE President Bill Henry, 84, Got Tough on Industry Bad Behavior
William P. Henry, a design firm executive and former American Society of Civil Engineers president who pushed adoption of an historic professional ethics mandate,is dead at 84
William P. “Bill” Henry, 84, a former Bay Area and Seattle civil engineering leader who went on to push for tougher industry anti-corruption measures as national president of the American Society of Civil Engineers, has died. The cause was brain cancer, said an online obituary. A water sector specialist, he co-founded consulting firm Aqua Resources Inc. and was its president and chairman. Henry also worked for industry firms Bechtel, Parsons Brinckerhoff and CH2M Hill and was San Francisco ASCE chapter president, said ASCE.
As the national association president in 2005, Henry steered an effort to reinforce ethical behavior in engineering and construction, engaging 90 other global groups, which created an historic charter that compels members to report bribery, fraud and kickbacks on projects worldwide. Violations could lead to revoking a professional engineering license. "With the increase in globalization of engineering practices, there is critical need to address global principles for professional conduct," said Henry. "We need to instill this in the next generation of engineers as well."
Henry was named an ENR Newsmaker for leading the effort, with other groups also becoming signatories. In an editorial, Arthur J. Fox, the late ENR editor emeritus, noted his active global promotion of the policy, particularly to the World Bank, Transparency International and other global lenders and advocacy groups.
Henry also was a strong ASCE advocate of industry diversity. Among other recognitions, he was one of the first diplomates of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers and received the California Water Environment Association’s Order of the Silver Cover.
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