Cordell Reed
Cordell Reed was an African American mechanical engineer and energy executive at Commonwealth Edison in Chicago, Illinois.[1]
Early life and education[edit]
A native of Chicago, Illinois, Cordell Reed was born on March 26, 1938.[2] His parents were Carrie Bell and Clevon Reed.[2] Reed was raised in a South Side Chicago public housing area known as the Ida B. Wells Homes.[1] Reed went to Tilden Technical High School.[1] He attended the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and graduated in 1960.[3] Reed was the third African American to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the university.[3] He went on to earn his Master’s degree in mechanical engineering at the same university.[1]
Career[edit]
Reed secured a job at Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) Company of Chicago after graduation in 1960.[1] He held many positions there, eventually becoming vice president of nuclear operations.[4] In his first position, Reed was an engineer working with coal-fire generating stations.[1] He moved to the nuclear division in 1967.[1] In 1975 he gained the executive role of public spokesman for nuclear power.[3] In another role as appointed manager of the nuclear engineering department, Reed led 75 engineers in designing all nuclear projects.[3] Some of Reed’s other career highlights include chief nuclear officer in 1979, a promotion to senior vice president in 1987, and positions as chief diversity officer and ethics officer in 1994.[1][3] Reed was instrumental in addressing the Three Mile Island accident in 1979.[1] He collaborated to create federal safeguards for public safety.[1] He participated in a trade mission to South Africa in 1995.[2]
Achievements[edit]
Reed’s accolades and achievements included receiving a 1988 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Black Engineer of the Year Awards and being inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 1992.[1][4] He was one of eight black engineers to have received this honor as of 1999.[4] In 1993, he received the American Nuclear Society’s Tommy Thompson Award.[1] Chicago State University named The Cordell Reed Student Union after him in 2001, four years after his 1997 retirement from Commonwealth Edison.[1][2]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Megan, Graydon (2017-12-12). "Cordell Reed, trailblazing engineer at ComEd, dies at 79". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ a b c d "Cordell Reed". The History Makers. 2002-07-02. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ a b c d e "Cordell Reed: African American Inventor". www.myblackhistory.net. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ a b c "The National Academy of Engineering: A Walk on the White Side". The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education (23): 58–60. 1999. doi:10.2307/2999312. ISSN 1077-3711. JSTOR 2999312.