Bob Morrison, an alumnus of Montana State University, will be inducted into the Montana Professional Engineers Hall of Fame on November 5. The Hall of Fame is located within MSU’s Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering and was established in 2002 to honor engineers who have made significant contributions to their profession and to public welfare in Montana.
Morrison received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from MSU, graduating in 1977 and 1978 respectively. He has maintained close ties with the university, serving as an adviser to the Department of Civil Engineering and participating on the Alumni Foundation Board of Governors.
“The name Morrison is iconic in Montana consulting engineering lore,” said Brett Gunnink, dean of the engineering college. “Bob will become the third Morrison to be inducted into the MPE Hall of Fame. I think that this speaks to the level of respect that Bob has earned as he has been able to build on the achievements of his grandfather and father and make his own very worthy contributions. I think this is quite extraordinary and likely never to be repeated.”
Morrison is recognized for his expertise in process design related to water and wastewater treatment facilities, pumping stations, pipelines, and sludge-handling operations. Over a career spanning 43 years across the western United States, he worked closely with Tribal communities. One notable project was overseeing a four-decade effort delivering clean drinking water through the Mni Wiconi Rural Water System to approximately 50,000 people over a region covering 12,500 square miles on the Oglala Sioux Reservation in South Dakota—the largest rural water system in the nation.
From 2006 until 2017, Morrison served as president and CEO of Morrison-Maierle, an employee-owned engineering firm with offices throughout Montana as well as Washington, Oregon, and Wyoming. He also held leadership roles at organizations including Helena YMCA, Helena Chamber of Commerce, Montana Community Finance Corp., and served on boards such as the Montana American Council of Engineering Companies.
Throughout his career Morrison has received numerous honors: these include awards from professional associations such as George Warren Fuller Award (American Water Works Association – Montana Section), Lifetime Achievement Award (Montana Water Environment Association-Montana Section AWWA), MSU College of Engineering Alumni Achievement Award; induction into MSU’s Academy of Distinguished Alumni; recognition as Helena Business Person of the Year; and being named Legacy Award winner for ENR’s Intermountain area—the first Montanan so honored.
He remains active in several professional organizations including American Water Works Association, Water Environment Federation, National Society of Professional Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Council of Engineering Companies—as well as honor societies Phi Kappa Phi and Tau Beta Pi.
