ACECNJ Awards Scholarship in Honor of George P. Kelley

The American Council of Engineering Companies of New Jersey (ACECNJ) annually awards scholarships to students attending ABET-accredited engineering programs in New Jersey with the intention of becoming consulting engineers. This year, ACECNJ awarded the $5,000 George P. Kelley Memorial Scholarship to Anthony Mendo of Stevens Institute of Technology during the 51st Annual Engineering Excellence Awards Banquet on Wednesday, March 23.

ACECNJ named the scholarship in honor of George Kelley, one of the founding members of Langan. Kelley was a longtime member of the ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards Committee, taking on several roles over the years and always working diligently to highlight impressive projects in the industry. Upon his passing in 2018, the committee established the memorial scholarship to honor Kelley’s commitment to the organization.

Kelley’s passion for engineering flourished while at Duke University, where he graduated in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering. He then served as a construction engineer with the Navy Seabees from 1965 to 1967 during the Vietnam War. Following his discharge from the Navy, Kelley enrolled at Purdue University, where he earned a Master’s Degree in civil engineering in 1968. Soon after, he joined Bernie Langan, George Derrick, and Dennis Leary to start Langan. Kelley was a pragmatic and talented engineer, a mentor to many, and a friend to all. Those who were fortunate enough to know him derived inspiration from his dedication to Langan, passion for the industry, and his energetic and optimistic spirit. During his 48 years at the firm, Kelley led countless redevelopment and remediation programs throughout the Northeast, advocating for community welfare through development.