Smyrna times., 1962-06-07

sunday al ue university s lloln
commencement.
They are Melvin F. Wood,
chief engineer of the Dupont
company, and Collins ]. Seitz,
chancellor of the Court of Chan
Gerry.
Wood, who will receive the
degree of Doctor of Science,
was graduated in 1921. Chan
cellor Seitz, a member of the
Class of 1887, will receive the
degree of Doctor of Laws.
Weather permitting, the pro-
gram will be held on the central
campus green, beginning at2:3O
pm. In the event of inclumenl
weather the ceremonies will
be removed to Carpenter
Field House.
Citations recognizing the ac-
complishments of the two men
will be read by DR.. Augustus
H. Able, professor of English,
who is retiring this year after
80 years of service at the
University of Delaware.
Wood was born in Wanaque,
N. j., and graduated from But
Ter High School. His undergrad
uate education was interrupted
by World War l service, but
he received his degree in civil
engineering in 1921. He worked
in several engineering capaci-
ties with the North Jersey Dis
trict Water Supply Commission
before joining the Dupont c Com-
pany in 1928.
He started with Dupont as
an assistant construction sup
erintendent in the engineering
department and then became
construction superintendent. In
1888 he was assigned to the
Industrial Engineer at the Mia
CARA Falls Works of the Elec =
trochemicals Department.
Returning to the Engineering
Department in 1910, he became
assistant manager of the War
Construction Division in l94l
and manager on l943. In April
of the same year, he was ap-
pointed manager of all Dup ont
construction. He was made
manager of the Engineering De-
partment's Design Division in
l945 and, in the following year,
assistant chief engineer. InAp-
ril, 1859, he was named chief
engineer for the company.
Wood married the former
Dorothy Lawrence at Pompton
Lakes, N. j., in June, 1925.
They have three children and
live at "Lawrenwood," near
Avondale in Chester County,
Pa.
He is member of Sigma
Nu fraternity and Tau Beta
Pi honorary engineering So
ciey, the American Society
of Civil Engineers, the Amer
ican Institute of Chemical En-
gineers, and the National So
ciety of Professional En-
gineers. He is a registered
professional engineer in New
York and Delaware.
Chancellor SeitZ received his
elementary education at St.
AIMS Parochial School. After
graduation from Wilmington
High School, he enrolled at the
University of Delaware where
he was vice president of his
class, captain of the debating
team, president of the literary
society and president of the
DerelictS, a senior honorary
society. Following his gradua :
tion in 1887, he enrolled at the
University of Virginia Law
School where he received his
LII. B. degree in 1910.
In the same year he was
admitted to the Delaware bar,
working in general practice un-
til 1916 and serving for a time
as tax attorney for the New
Castle Levy Court. He also
was admitted to practice in the
Federal courts, including the
Supreme Court. In 1916, he
became the youngest appointee
to the major judiciary of the
state in more than 100 years
when he became vice chancellor
in the Court of Chancery. Two
years later he was appointed
Delaware correspondent for the
American Bar Associations
survey of the legal profession.
He also was active in the Gre
alton of the Legal Aid Society
of Delaware and served on COM
mittees responsible for draft
ing rules to govern the major
courts of the state.
In lo49, Chancellor Seitz was
named Young Man of the Year
by the Wilmington Junior Cham :
Der of Commerce. He served
as chairman of the Mid-Cenury
White House Conference on
Children and Youth in 1850 and
in 1851, he was the recipient
of the Americanism Award of
B'nai Birth Lodge 470 of Will
mington in recognition of his
outstanding community service.
In 1852 he received the Nation
al Association of Negro News :
papers Award and in 1854, the
James ]. Hoey Award for In
terracial Justice offered by the
Catholic Interracial Council of
New York. Both of these awards
were based largely on Chancel-
loy- Ca;fzs hictor-ir da~icior, II,