Papers of Lionel V. Baldwin

Lionel Vernon Baldwin (1932-2019) began his tenure at Colorado State University in the Department of Civil Engineering in 1961 and served as the Dean of the College of Engineering from 1966 until 1984, leaving his administrative duties to return to research and teaching. In 1984 he founded National Technology University, which was an outgrowth of SURGE (State University Resources in Graduate Education), also founded by Baldwin. He served as the president of NTU until his retirement in 2000. NTU was a nonprofit organization that offered graduate courses via satellite and led to a Master of Science. The NTU national satellite network provided advanced education to technical professionals at more than 1,000 sites. NTU coordinated instruction offered by 53 major universities, including CSU.

Baldwin received his B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 1954 and his M.S. in chemical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1955. In 1959, he earned his Ph.D. at Case Institute of Technology while serving six years in the U.S. Air Force stationed at NASA. Baldwin received many honors throughout his career, including an award for plasma research from NASA, the Kenneth Andrew Roe Award from the American Association of Engineering Societies, and a Distinguished Service Award from the University of Notre Dame. He also received an Innovator Award from the Society of Satellite Professionals International, Engineering Manager of the Year from the American Society for Engineering Management, Entrepreneur of the Year from the Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce, and inclusion in the Engineering Education Hall of Fame.

Lionel Baldwin was born to Eugene and Wanda Baldwin of Port Arthur, Texas, on May 30, 1932. In 1955, he married Kathleen Flanagan. They had four children. Baldwin died on June 26, 2019. The City of Fort Collins declared August 20, 2019 “Dr. Lionel Baldwin Day”.

The Papers of Lionel V. Baldwin consists of papers, photographs, slides, compact disks, videotapes, building plans and blueprints, a framed portrait, and ephemera. Most of the collection is specific to National Technology University though Baldwin’s curriculum vitae, obituary, a eulogy, and some awards are present.