Dr. Karl Brenkert Jr., Dean and Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering

Tales From Yesteryear Series.

"Scardino". "Chach". With a pipe clenched between his teeth, the professor calls out names of students worried about flunking as he hands out graded ME 303 Fluid Mechanics test papers. Then he pauses for a moment, stares bewildered through his 1950s spectacles and exclaims "En-Gee!" and then again "En-Gee?" Ng is a student and those aren't his initials. "What the hell kind of name is En-Gee? I've never seen a name without vowels and just two letters. How in the world are you supposed to say it?" Ng, a Mechanical Engineering foreign student from Vietnam, stands up and answers "Ungh." Grabbing his pipe before it falls to the floor, an even more confounded old man, visibly shocked, exclaims loudly "UNGH? That's not a name. That's a grunt." The entire class including Ng bursts out into laughter. Thoroughbred German, completely American, and 100 percent Sauerkraut was Dr. Karl Brenkert Jr., Dean and Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Mississippi. He didn't give two hoots or half a damn. Back in the fall of 1987, such antics would be tolerated. Today, in times of political correctness gone awry, he'd be shown the door, but not before his prestigious status had been revoked. Dr. Brenkert was a trip and everyone enjoyed the ride.

Classic portrait of a younger Dr. Brenkert in his office.
Photo credit unknown

When I started to know Dr. Brenkert personally in 1987, he had just returned from a colostomy or urostomy surgery. He had lost significant body mass. He was leaving Ole Miss to retire to Arizona and himself admitted that he didn't think he was going to live much longer. Just a few semesters earlier, when smoking was allowed in classrooms and University offices, a much larger sized Dr. Brenkert was never to be seen without a lit pipe. After surgery and the ban on campus smoking, he carried around an unlit pipe in the department and classes. For better or worse, those were different times. Simpler times for sure.

I remember the incident during an Engineering Dynamics class when a smart alec civil engineering student stuck an ASCE - American Society of Civil Engineers bumper sticker to the back of his pride and joy 1960s Ford Mustang 1967 Chevy Camaro (as corrected with invaluable insight in comments below by his son Eric Brenkert). A die hard Mechanical Engineer, Dr. Brenkert squandered no opportunity to educate members of other engineering disciplines about their inherent inferiority to Mechanical Engineers. And rightfully so. Dr. Brenkert had tried to take the sticker off and failed, claiming it was stuck with some space-age glue developed by, not coincidentally, Mechanical Engineers. Pride had worked to his detriment and although he wasn't happy about it, he laughed it off. Dare I say that the student responsible had guts pulling the stunt off.

A Graduate of The University of Michigan and Stanford University, Dr. Brenkert was a popular personality among students and respected among faculty peers. When the giant finally bid goodbye to Ole Miss in 1988 he left a void in the department that was never filled. One of his peers was Dr. Tom Horton, another Stanford Ph.D. recruited by Dr. Brenkert to Ole Miss. Dr. Brenkert always spared a few moments to glorify the brilliance of Dr. Thomas Horton at Stanford, always pointing out that even distinguished professors at Stanford were in awe of his genius and regularly approached then graduate student Tom for solutions to problems.

Students were his passion and Dr. Brenkert always invited them to his home to tell stories from a bygone era. Dr. Brenkert always said "You don't have to do anything in life. You don't have to come to class. You don't have to take my tests. But you must face the consequences by failing the class. It's therefore best to do things. Regardless, you don't have to do anything in life." What a profound lesson to young engineers. I have always remembered his words. I don't have to do anything in life. I do things because I choose to do so.

Dr. Brenkert as I remember him
Photo credit unknown

Dear Dr. Brenkert passed away on May 19th, 2011 in Sun City, Arizona at the age of 89, defying his surgeries for over twenty four years. His legacy will forever continue in hearts of people fortunate enough to have crossed his path. RIP Dr. Brenkert and thank you for your service to generations of Ole Miss Engineers.

Note: Some of the above statements may not be completely accurate. I am going by a 30 year old memory. If you wish to add to the story or correct my essay, I would be very grateful. These are not my photographs and I am not taking credit for them. If I can ask for permission or give credit to the correct person I will do so. If you wish for me to take them down (which I hope you do not), I will honour your request. Capture Your Life. Dictate Your Legacy.