Swanson School Honors Richard Bennett as its 2024 Distinguished Alumnus in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
Above: Richard Bennett (center) with Department Chair Brian Gleeson (left) and Interim U.S. Steel Dean Sanjeev Shroff.
The University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering feted its 2024 class of Distinguished Alumni on Wednesday, April 10 at the University Club. Recognized among this year's honorees was Richard Bennett BSMetE ‘69, Katz MBA ‘74, as the Distinguished Alumnus in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science.
“It is my privilege to recognize our alumnus, Rich Bennett,” said Brian Gleeson, Department Chair of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science. “Rich is a dedicated and passionate Pitt alumnus, and like our other honorees, greatly values the commitment to service. He remembers being 19 years old in November of 1966 and stopping at Schenley Hall to listen to the Tuesday Noon Series Speaker - none other than the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.! According to Rich, that day would shape him into the person he is today. Since retiring to Charleston, South Carolina, Rich and his wife Diane have been inspired to service, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, teaching English as a second language, and volunteering at the food bank. Throughout these many years since listening to Dr. King and experiencing everything Pitt had to offer, Rich has become an exemplary alumnus, benefactor, and contributor to student success.”
About Richard Bennett
Rich Bennett was raised in South Jersey and is a second-generation American. His grandfather left school after the 3rd grade and his father left school after 8th grade to attend a trade school and then went to work to support his eight younger siblings. His father was also a proud World War II Naval veteran and impressed tolerance and education upon Rich. His mother’s family is Ukrainian and needless to say, he’s equally proud of both sides of his heritage.
He was accepted to the schools of engineering at Rutgers, Lehigh, and the University of Pittsburgh; he chose Pitt. He was the first 2nd generation American in his family to obtain a college degree, and there were a LOT of cousins.
Rich received grants and was aided in securing National Defense loans which allowed him to attend Pitt and graduate in 1969 with a B.S. in Material and Metallurgical Engineering. With Pitt’s help securing financial resources was crucial to him completing his degree. After graduation, he immediately began working as a steel plant engineer in Pittsburgh. After three years of attending night school, he earned his MBA in Economics and Finance from the Katz Graduate School of Business at Pitt in 1974.
He met his wife of 55 years, Diane in Pittsburgh. Diane was born and raised in New Castle, PA and is also a 2nd generation American with a similar working-class family background to Rich. Diane graduated at the top of her high school class and went on to obtain her RN. She went to work at the Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital in Oakland while attending night classes at Pitt.
Rich spent two years working with a Youngstown company before he accepted a job with Anheuser-Busch in their Corporate Planning Department and continued to work for Anheuser-Busch for 22 years in various positions, primarily at the corporate headquarters in St. Louis. In St. Louis, Diane returned to college and earned a degree in interior design. She worked for years as an Interior Designer and then as a home furnishings buyer.
After retiring he and Diane moved to Charleston, South Carolina where they were both active with Habitat for Humanity for many years. For the past 12 years he’s taught English as a Second Language to immigrants and works 1-2 days a week at a local food bank.
Rich and Diane have one daughter, Elizabeth Bennett Lange. She earned her B.A. in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After working for several years as a consultant, she returned to college and earned an MBA in Marketing from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Elizabeth and her family have lived and worked in Mountain View and San Francisco, CA, Shanghai, China, Bangalore, India, and Berlin Germany. She and her family recently relocated to the West Coast.