Balzhiser Joins Academic All-America Hall of Fame
6/27/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
| | Balzhiser |
To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, a candidate must be an Academic All-America team member who graduated at least 10 years ago. The 2002 inductees were selected from a group of 150 individuals who were nominated by members of CoSIDA. There are now 73 members of the Hall of Fame, including this year's class.
Along with Balzhiser, four other former student-athletes were inducted into the Academic Hall of Fame this year: Susan Cassidy (Molloy College, Class of 1986), a three-year starter in softball who is currently a captain in the New York City Police Department, the youngest person ever named to that position; John Stockton (Gonzaga University, Class of 1984), an 18-year veteran of the NBA's Utah Jazz who is the league's all-time leader in assists and steals; Susan Walsh (University of North Carolina, Class of 1984), an eight-time NCAA swimming champion currently overseeing fundraising efforts for UNC's Educational Foundation; and honorary inductee Raymond Shafer (Allegheny College, Class of 1938), a nine-time letterman in three sports who went on to become governor of Pennsylvania. Honorary inductees are eligible candidates who competed prior to the establishment of the Academic All-America program in their respective sport.
For two seasons, Balzhiser was a key member of the Wolverines' single-wing offense as a "spinning fullback" -- the equivalent of today's option quarterback -- for legendary coach Bennie Oosterbaan. In 1954 he was awarded the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor, recognizing excellence in scholarship, athletics and community service.
Fulfilling a desire to give back to the university, Balzhiser served as professor of chemical engineering at Michigan from 1960-70. Beginning in 1967 he spent a year as a White House Fellow in the Office of the Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. He participated in a number of important assignments, including a comprehensive study of the nation's commitment to the Vietnam War. He then went back to Ann Arbor and became the chairman of Michigan's Chemical Engineering Department.
Balzhiser returned to the White House in 1971 and spent two years under President Richard Nixon in the Office of Science and Technology (OST), with responsibility for energy, environment and natural resources. He was attracted to Palo Alto, Calif., by the electric utility industry's creation of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) under Chauncey Starr's leadership. Balzhiser directed the Fossil Fuel and Advanced Systems Division initially. His responsibilities broadened as vice president under Floyd Culler and then as president and CEO for the last eight years prior to his retirement in 1996.
He remained active in industry matters serving on several boards and advisory councils for Reliant Energy, Aerospace, Electrosource, NREL, WEC, DOE, World Bank, Mobil Oil, California's PIER committee, and the California Council for Science and Technology. Balzhiser resides in Menlo Park, Calif.
CoSIDA Release (5/28/02)
Contact: Bruce Madej (734) 763-4423
