ROBERT BLACKBURN BANKS
 The
AIT Community has learned with deep sorrow of the passing away on 19 August
2002 at the age of 80 of former AIT President Professor Robert B. Banks.
President Banks will be remembered for the important contributions he
made towards the growth and development of AIT during his Presidency,
which he held from January 1977 to July 1983. Prior to that, Professor
Banks held the position of Vice-President and Provost. Mrs. Gunta M. Banks,
in her letter to AIT communicating the sad news, recalls that "President
Banks was associated with AIT for many years and held fond memories of
his time here". In this time of bereavement, and on behalf of the faculty,
staff, students and alumni of the Asian Institute of Technology, we would
like to convey our heartfelt sympathy to his family and to all those who
loved and admired him. Jean-Louis Armand
President
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Robert Banks spent his youth in Kansas and California. After attending the
University of Wichita for two years, he served in the US Navy, receiving an
honorable discharge as Lieutenant, Junior Grade, in 1946.
He then returned to his academic studies, receiving B.S. and M.S. degrees in
Civil and Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University and a Ph.D.
in Environmental Engineering from University of California at Berkeley. Following
post-doctoral research as a Fulbright Scholar at Imperial College in London,
Banks commenced a 40-year career in academia, holding positions as professor,
researcher and administrator. From the 1950s to the mid-1960s, he was Professor
of Civil Engineering at Northwestern University and later at the Asian Institute
of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand. On his return from Asia, Banks became Dean
of the College of Engineering at University of Illinois at Chicago. In 1967,
he moved to Mexico and became Regional Program Advisor for Science and Technology
for the Ford Foundation.
In 1976, Banks accepted the post of Vice President and Provost at the Asian
Institute of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand, and in 1977 was appointed President.
In 1983, he became Executive Officer of the International Service for National
Agricultural Research in The Hague, Netherlands. Following his retirement in
1988, he remained active in the academic world through consulting, lecturing
and writing; his latest books "Growth and Diffusion Phenomena : Mathematical
Frameworks and Applications", "Towering Icebergs, Falling Dominoes and Other
Adventures in Applied Mathematics", and "Slicing Pizzas, Racing Turtles, and
Further Adventure Mathematics", were published after his retirement. They can
be consulted in the AIT Library.
During his distinguished career, Banks was recognized for his outstanding contributions
to education and received numerous honors and awards, including the Commandeur
dans l'Ordre des Palmes Academiques from the Government of France, and the Most
Exalted Order of the White Elephant from His Majesty the King of Thailand.
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| April 1982: President Banks
awards an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Technology to Prime Minister Prem
Tinsulanonda on AIT’s 34th Graduation Day |
Professor Robert Banks and
Mrs. Gunta Banks at a reception marking his appointment as President held
at the Erawan Hotel in January 1977. |
Robert Banks is survived by his wife, Gunta, and sons, Steven and Erik.
Robert Blackburn Banks: born October 12, 1922 Wichita, Kansas; died August
19, 2002 La Jolla, California
Mrs. Gunta M. Banks:
400 Prospect # 232
La Jolla, CA 92037
USA