EDWARD KARL MORLOK, JR.

Born: November 3, 1940
Died: April 18, 2009

Edward K. Morlok was born in Philadelphia, son of Edward Karl Morlok and Anna Marie Kurtz Morlok. He prepared for Yale at Tenafly (NJ) High School and North Kingston High School in Wickford, Rhode Island.

At Yale Ed was a member of Saybrook. He was a mechanical engineering major, on Dean's List, a member of Tau Beta Pi and president of the Transportation Club. He was a lifelong railroad buff. In the Banner he predicted a career in railroad transportation engineering and management. His remarkable subsequent career more than fulfilled his prediction.

After graduation, Ed earned a certificate in transportation at Yale and a Ph.D. at Northwestern University in 1967. He taught transportation engineering at Northwestern until he joined the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, rising to become the UPS Foundation Professor of Transportation. At Penn he taught engineering economics, logistics and manufacturing and supervised numerous doctoral students. He was the author of four books including a standard textbook and for 13 years served as editor of the McGraw-Hill series on transportation.

The Philadelphia Inquirer article on his passing described Ed as "a leading authority on transportation systems." His Penn colleague Vukan Vuchic said "his specialty was the economics and logistics of freight transportation. He dealt with ways to coordinate trucks and rail cars for package transport. He developed ideas for integrating satellite tracking and data exchanges and researched ways to make transportation systems more energy efficient, environmentally friendly and accommodating of disabled people."

He took a special interest in the history of the Leiper Railroad, a horse-drawn rail line begun in 1809 to haul quarry stone through Swarthmore. It was among the world's earliest railroads.

Ed's first marriage terminated in divorce. However, as he wrote in our 40th Reunion Book, "Since the last account at our 25th, much has happened and most has been good. In 1991 I married Patricia Conboy and I have never been happier! My family increased from one child to six, but expansion has been delightful."

Describing his academic life, Ed observed, "I find I am focusing increasingly on research that I feel is important rather than that which funding agencies or others feel is so. Probably this reflects the recognition that retirement is inevitable ... someday."

Ed's special hobby was model trains of the 00 gauge. "He never thought you could have enough model trains," his wife recalled. " The largest room on the third floor of our house was filled floor to ceiling with locomotives and train cars." She described Ed as a passionate liberal and civil libertarian who loved jazz and bluegrass but was the first to admit he "couldn't carry a tune in a bucket."

In 2000 Ed was diagnosed with colon cancer and began his battle with the disease. Despite his illness, his wife said, "Ed remained always optimistic as he fought his illness valiantly."

Ed is survived by his wife, his daughter Jessica Prince and stepson John Conboy, and stepdaughters Patricia Kuzly, Elizabeth Sheslow, Peggy Wagman and Nancy Burke.

Ed's comments in 2002 written in the midst of his fight against cancer provide an uplifting epitaph with a message for all: "I look forward to the years ahead. While age brings some disadvantages, it seems to me that it also brings some degree of wisdom and balance to one's life and the opportunities seem tremendous. I wish this for all of us."