George Donald Combs, BSChE ’59, PhD ’64, of Fort Smith died Monday, June 9, 2014. He was born October 2, 1937, in Fort Smith, to the late George W. and Martha Coleman Combs. George was the first person to earn a PhD in Engineering from the University of Arkansas Fayetteville. After earning his doctorate, Combs was a senior research engineer for Exxon before returning to the U of A from 1970-74 and 1975-78 as an associate professor of engineering science. He also helped found an environmental company, ENSCO, which was the first company in the United States licensed to incinerate PCBs. A strong believer in education, his donations helped build the Bell Engineering Center at the U of A, as well as funding scholarships. He was a member of the College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council and the College of Engineering Hall of Fame.
In Memoriam: George Combs
