The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1959-07-17

North Cardinals first Director
of Highways, Willard Harrington
Babcock, is a 41-year old trans
portation engineer who was both
a member of the State College
faculty and a consulting engineer
with a national practice in his
field.
In announcing his appointment,
Governor Hodges said, "This is one
of those rare occasion when the
job actually did seek the man. His
acceptance is evidence of his real
interest in North Carolina, for in
giving up both his college career
and his private engineering prac-
tice, he is making sacrifice"
By recent act of the General AS
sembly, the State Highway Com
mission has been reorganized. Even
its name has been changed to elimi-
n@te the words, "and Public
Works" Director of Highways
Babcock is the chief executive of.
ficer of the GOODMAN department
which will spend around $500 mil
lion during the next two years.
The new seven-man Commission
is the policy-making body, while
the Director has the job of carry
ing out the policies adopted.
Mr.. Babcock is native of Bos-
ton, but he has spent practically
all of his adult life in North Caro-
Lima. He came to N. C. State Col.
lege as a 22-year old instructor
and had. been with the civil engi.
neering college faculty from thai
day until his appointment-risine
steadily both in his career as 9
teacher and in his career as a con
sulting engineer, specializing il
transportation practices and plan
ming.
4 The director is the son of JOIN
D. Bacock, III, retired Professor o.
Transportation at the Massachu
etts Institute of Technology, from
which Bill Babcock graduated, ane
from which he received his gradu
aate degree.
Bill Babcock was born in Water
town, Massachusetts on March Id
1917. Twenty-four years and one
day later he married Jane Sweet
also of Massachusetts. They have
three children: Susan Forbee, Johr
Brazer II, and Sarah Harrington
They are members of the Caro-
lima County Club and the White
Memorial Presbyterian Church Of
Raleigh.
| Mr.. Babcock began at N. C
State College as an instructor il
1910. He rose to the position of as.
sistant professor of civil engineer.
ing in 1912, associate professor ir
1947, and full professor in 1862
1t was in 1913 that he began his
practice as a consulting engineer
in traffic and transportation engi.
neering.,
Since then, he has been consult.
ant to many North Carolina mu.
inequalities, including Apex, Ashe.
boro, Black Mountain, Burlington
Carolina Beach, Chapel Hill, Dur
ham, Fayetteville Forest City
Goldsboro, Graham, Greensboro
Greenville, Henderson, High Point
Jacksonville, Kinston, Laurinburg
Lenoir, Madison, Marion, Moores-
vile, Morganton, New Bern, Ra.
leigh, Rocky Mount, Roxboro
Salisbury, Sanford, Smithfield
Statesville, Townsville, Wallace
Washington, and Spartanburg
South Carolina.
Among the various honorary
societies to which Babcock belongs
is Chi Epsilon, the national scho.
lastic fraternity in civil engineer.
ing. He served as national presi-
dent of the organization from 1864
to 1856. ~
Among his many professional
societies are the American Society
Institute of Planners, the Ameri-
can Road Builders Association
of Civil Engineers, the American
the Institute of Traffic Engineers
and the North Carolina Society OF
Engineers. He is technical adj
visor to the National Committee
on Urban Transportation.
Under the new highway act,
Babcock will serve a five-year
term.
Based on his wide experience,
Babcock commented at the time of
his appointment, that "the State
and municipal governments are
going to have TO work together TO
solve rural and urban traffic and
transportation problems for the
mutual benefit of ALL"