Thank you, from Henry Hessing

I am extremely honored to be receiving “The Frank Patti Award” and “The Individual Achievement Award”.

I am earnestly grateful for the recognition, as no one could fail to be deeply moved by such a tribute, coming from the American Society of Civil Engineers Metropolitan Section Long Island Branch that I love and have served so long. It fills me with emotion I cannot express.

I am especially happy to receive the Frank Patti Award from Frank. If you have not had a chance, speak with Frank, inquire about the fascinating projects he did during his career, and yet still created the time to found the LI Branch.

Thank you so much Frank.

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The Individual Achievement Award I truly believe symbolizes the code of conduct of the civil engineering profession. To me, this is the meaning of the award. For all eyes and for all time, it is an expression of the ethics of the American Civil Engineer. That I should be integrated in this way with so noble an ideal arouses a sense of pride and yet of humility which will be with me always.

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My individual code of conduct is based on a philosophy expressed by Ayn Rand, in essence  “the concept of man as an heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.” Paraphrasing General Douglas MacArthur: “These concepts teach you to be proud and unbending in honest failure, but humble and gentle in success; not to substitute words for action; not to seek the path of comfort, but to face the stress and spur of difficulty and challenge; to learn to stand up in the storm, but to have compassion on those who fall; to master yourself before you seek to master others; to have a heart that is clean, a goal that is high; to learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; to reach into the future, yet never neglect the past; to be serious, yet never take yourself too seriously; to be modest so that you will remember the simplicity of true greatness; the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength. They give you a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of reason, a freshness of the deep springs of life, a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, an appetite for adventure over love of ease. They create in your heart the sense of wonder, the unfailing hope of what next, and the joy and inspiration of life. They teach you in this way to be a gentleman and an engineer”.

I have faced several challenges on my way here, but each one of them has only strengthened me to make me a thorough professional who knows exactly what he wants to accomplish; someone who sets his eyes on the goal, an individual who does not lose sight of it, unless it is achieved. As Robert Moses might say, “gets the job done”.

Winning this award would not have been possible without the inspiration I have received from those who were the senior engineers when I was young, my civil engineering colleagues for whom I have the deepest respect, and from whom I have derived the strength to challenge myself and perform better at each stage of a lifetime in engineering.

I sincerely thank the ASCE Met Section Long Island Branch, the Board, every one of you in our profession, and especially my family. I thank our sons for taking time from their hectic schedules, and their own families to share this evening.

Most importantly, I thank Joni, my wife of 43 years, who has been the “bright spot in my day”, every day, for helping me reach a stage where I can proudly hold up these awards as marks of achievement. 

Thank you!