Rupert Evans has had a distinguished career as an educator. After completing two graduate degrees at Purdue, he joined the staff of the University of Illinois as an assistant professor of vocational and technical education in 1950. He moved through the ranks to professor before being named associate dean in 1961 and then dean of the College of Education in 1964. He served as a Fulbright lecturer in Japan, a consultant in 18 foreign countries, and as president of many professional organizations. Rupert has written 10 books and numerous journal articles on industrial and vocational education and personnel psychology. Also, he served as the chair of the Mississippi Valley Industrial Teacher Education Conference from 1972 to 1980.
After such a renowned career, Rupert continued to serve the community as the driving force behind the Urbana Free Library Foundation’s successful $8 million campaign for the library’s building expansion. In addition, Rupert is a member of the Champaign, Illinois, school board.
Enjoying a peaceful retirement, Rupert and his wife, Mary, reside in Urbana, Illinois, where his hobbies include writing, printing, industrial archeology, and model engineering.
This was originally written for the Distinguished Technology Alumni Awards in 2006.