ASME Honorary Membership Bestowed on Nathan H. (Nate) Hurt

NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2011 – Nathan H. (Nate) Hurt, a resident of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., and senior consultant, was be honored by ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) for significant contributions in the nuclear industry, particularly the field of uranium enrichment; and in the broader mechanical engineering profession as an active member and distinguished past president of Society.  He received Honorary Membership in ASME.

First awarded in 1880, the founding year of the Society, Honorary Membership recognizes a lifetime of service to engineering or related fields.  The award was conferred on Mr. Hurt during ASME’s 2011 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, held in Denver, Nov. 11 through 17.

Hurt has devoted his 64-year career to managing the design, construction and operation of chemical and nuclear facilities.  Forty-seven of those years have been dedicated to the nuclear field.

He began his career at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in 1947.  During his 40 years with the company, he was involved in the construction and operation of plants for the production of polyvinyls, polyesters, rubber chemicals and synthetic rubber.  He held several engineering and plant management positions; and served as program director for the design, construction and training of operating management for a synthetic rubber plant in Brazil for Petrobras, the Brazilian government-owned petroleum company. 

When Goodyear formed a subsidiary, Goodyear Atomic Corporation, to fulfill a contract with the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission for the operation of a new uranium enrichment facility, Hurt was manager of engineering during the facility design and construction.  Later he was deputy general manager and, subsequently, the corporation’s president and general manager.

After retiring from Goodyear in 1987, Hurt joined Los Alamos Technical Associates in its Denver office as director of marketing and projects.  He later joined IDM Environmental Corp.’s Oak Ridge, Tenn. office as vice president, southeast region, responsible for the decontamination and demolition of facility projects at several DOE sites.

Hurt currently provides consulting services on uranium enrichment and radioactive cleanup to companies with DOE contracts. He co-authored the chapter on uranium enrichment that was published in the Nuclear Engineering Handbook edited by Kenneth D. Kok (CRC Press, 2009).

An ASME Fellow, Hurt has been a member of ASME since 1946.  He went on to serve as chair of the Management Division (1981), vice president of the General Engineering Group (1984-88), member of the Board of Governors (1988-90) and ASME president (1991-92).  During his year of presidency, he promoted the awareness of contributions of engineers to society and stressed the importance of precollege preparation for entering the profession.  He continues to serve on the Committee of Past Presidents as well as the Committee on Organization and Rules and the Energy Committee.  He received a Dedicated Service Award in 1994.

Hurt is also a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Australia; and a member of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) and the American Society for Engineering Management.

About ASME ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world.