Dr. John Busby’s family has been integral to the growth and success of UW-Platteville over the years. To honor Dr. Busby’s family’s legacy of service and mentorship, the school is renaming its Engineering Hall to the Busby Hall of Engineering.
Legacy of Leadership
The Busby family has been deeply involved in building up the school and the community ever since Edward Busby, Dr. Busby’s father, was hired as the dean of UW-Platteville’s College of Engineering in 1966. Until his retirement in 1988, Edward Busby oversaw the growth of the school as it added mechanical, industrial, and electrical engineering programs to its curriculum, as well as helped facilitate the school’s accreditation process.
Edward Busby was a life-long member of the Wisconsin Society of Professional Engineers and state president and national director of the National Society of Professional Engineers. He also served on the Board of Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors and helped develop the Engineers Exam, which all registered professional engineers must pass. He passed away in 2011.
Edward Busby’s wife Lois also committed herself to serving the Platteville community. She was president of the Jaycettes, founder of the Platteville chapter of the American Field Service, chairperson of the Platteville chapter of the American Cancer Society, and treasurer of the Grant County Republican Party.
Dr. John Busby’s Commitment to UW-Platteville Students
Dr. Busby has followed in his parents’ footsteps by dedicating himself to serving the school and community. Dr. Busby serves on the UW-Platteville Foundation Board of Directors and the UW-Platteville Alumni Association Board of Directors. He was awarded the Denny Pratt Volunteer of the Year Award in 2013 in recognition of his committed service to UW-Platteville.
Dr. Busby is dedicated to ensuring current and future students of UW-Platteville enjoy the same kind of experience he did. As Dr. Busby told UW-Platteville, “I had a really great experience at UW-Platteville, and I just hope any other kid that goes there has the equivalent.”
To facilitate that, Dr. Busby’s family has created the Edward and Lois Busby Scholarship and the Busby Family Entrepreneurial Scholarship.
Dr. Busby remarked, “It was an honor for me to go to UW-Platteville; my parents always put a huge value on education. I think it’s an honor to have my father recognized.”
The school plans to begin construction on a new engineering hall later this year that will build upon the engineering program that flourished under Edward Busby.
