DEPARTMENTS
IN MEMORIAM
DONALD R. MCFEE (pictured) served as AIHA president in 1979–1980.
ROBERT LIECKFIELD JR., CIH, FAIHA, is president of CRL HSE Consulting LLC in Shelby, Michigan.
BARBARA DAWSON, CIH, CSP, FAIHA, is a past president of AIHA and past chair of the American Board of Industrial Hygiene. She recently retired from DuPont in Wilmington, Delaware.
Donald R. McFee, 1929–2024
BY ROBERT LIECKFIELD JR. AND BARBARA DAWSON
Donald R. McFee, who served as AIHA’s 41st president in 1979–1980, passed away April 19 at the age of 94. He was born in central Indiana in July 1929, a few months before the stock market crash. Later, he credited his parents, who ran the family farm, with skillfully navigating the hard times that followed. “They brought us all through the Great Depression with hard work and thoughtful planning,” he wrote. “Each family member did what he/she was capable of doing.” That experience set the stage for a life that would exemplify Don’s philosophy: “Take advantage of every opportunity you have to further your education and be a contributing part of your work and community.”
At his mother’s suggestion, Don pursued a career in engineering. In 1951, he graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and was hired by Boeing in Seattle. There he met Joan Lashbaugh, whom he married in 1954. Don and Joan would have three sons, six grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren.
Soon afterward, Don joined the U.S. Air Force and served three years in Louisiana as one of the Air Force's first bioenvironmental engineers, or BEEs. Don would become a licensed professional engineer in several states, but during his time in the Air Force he developed an interest in safety engineering, which he pursued when his military service ended. He earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in industrial health from the University of Cincinnati. He worked for a time at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, then joined Occusafe Inc., an occupational health and safety consultancy.
Don became an AIHA member in 1961 and earned his CIH in 1964. His AIHA volunteer work included serving as chair of the Technical Publications Committee beginning in 1968 and as a member of the Program Committee for the 1977 American Industrial Hygiene Conference in New Orleans. During his term as president in 1979–1980, AIHA initiated its first salary surveys, increased its promotion of what was then known as the Industrial Hygiene Foundation, and enjoyed record participation in volunteer activities. Of his service to AIHA he would later proudly recall “visiting local sections in every state and representing the association worldwide.”
AIHA recognized Don’s distinguished career in industrial hygiene, his many contributions to national safety standards, and his long service to the association by granting him honorary membership.
Don was at the forefront of ambassadorship for the profession. In 1982, he led the first IH delegation to China as part of the U.S. government’s People to People program. AIHA members Howard Spielman and Frank Parker have fond memories of the trip, adding that Don was a gracious leader in every way and was responsible for a successful journey. During retirement, Don led another group of industrial hygienists to South Africa to learn about the country’s safety practices. Later, Don attained the status of AIHA Fellow.
AIHA recognized Don’s distinguished career in industrial hygiene, his many contributions to national safety standards, and his long service to the association by granting him honorary membership , among the highest honors that AIHA can confer. He is one of only 55 individuals to be so honored in the 85-year history of AIHA.
Don is survived by his sons David and Michael, sister Patty Wiley, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Joan, son Mark, brother Evan, and second wife Daisie.
RESOURCES
AIHA: American Industrial Hygiene Conference 1977 Program.
AIHA: The American Industrial Hygiene Association: Its History and Personalities, 1939–1990 (1994).
Beidelman-Kunsch Funeral Homes: “Donald Ray McFee” (April 2024).
Community UMC: Wisdom Celebration, “Donald R. McFee” (PDF, April 2021).