The Webb Alumni Association Executive Committee is pleased to announce that Eugene R. Miller, Jr. '64 has been selected to be the 41st recipient of the William Selkirk Owen Award. The award will be presented at the Webb Institute Banquet on October 13, 2006 at the Fort Lauderdale Grande Hotel and Yacht Club. Invitations to the Webb Banquet will be mailed separately, and the event will be covered in the alumni section of the website. The annual Banquet is one of the two major social events (the other being Homecoming) that bring together Webb alumni, trustees, faculty, students, administration, family and friends.

The William Selkirk Owen Award is the Alumni Association's highest honor and is presented to a graduate in recognition of outstanding achievement and service to the profession and his/her alma mater.

W. Selkirk Owen was born in Athens, Georgia in 1884 and received his elementary education from the Baltimore, Maryland public schools. He entered "Webb's Academy and Home for Shipbuilders" in 1900 and graduated in 1903. After spending a year at sea, he went to Scotland where he earned a B.S. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the University of Glasgow in 1907.

Returning to America in 1908, Owen became active as a naval architect in several shipyards before being appointed Professor of Naval Architecture and Dean of Faculty at Webb in 1928, a position he retained for 22 years. In addition to teaching and administering the academic program, Professor Owen undertook private consulting work and served as expert witness in several admiralty court cases.

During his years at Webb, he enhanced the curriculum to that of an accredited engineering college, was part of the relocation efforts from the Bronx to Glen Cove, and laid plans for post-graduate education. His own high standards were reflected in the calibre of Webb graduates, who were often epitomized as "technicians of the highest order." For twenty-two years, he went beyond the realm of teaching by being a counselor and a friend to all students. He viewed a Webb graduate not only in terms of professional expertise but a gentleman and a leader as well. Due to his character, sense of honor and dedication to Webb and the Alumni Association, Webb Institute has gained much of its strength and professional image.

The following distinguished alumni have received this honor, which was established in 1964 and presented for the first time in 1966: