Ralph E. Fadum was born on July 19, 1912, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Niagara Falls, New York. He came to North Carolina State College (later North Carolina State University) in 1949 as a Professor and Head of the Department of Civil Engineering, holding this position until 1962. Dr. Fadum became the Dean of Engineering on July 1, 1962, serving the University until his retirement in 1978. Fadum was an adviser to many government agencies including the United States Department of Defense, United States Department of the Army, United State Air Force, National Science Foundation, and United States Department of Transportation. As a consultant, he was involved in solving many complex geotechnical problems, such as the construction of airfields in Greenland; the Alaska pipeline; launch facilities for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Apollo Project; the development of the road test program of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials; landslide stabilization for the Panama Canal; the construction of underground ICBM missile silos that could withstand nuclear blast effects; and the development of foundation requirements for radar stations in the North American Defense System. Fadum also had a strong interest in athletics. He served twice as president of the Atlantic Coast Conference, and a four-year term as vice president of District 3 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
From the description of Ralph Fadum papers, 1937-1983 [manuscript] (North Carolina State University). WorldCat record id: 589077857
