William “Bill” Prengle, a founding faculty member in the Cullen College of Engineering’s chemical engineering department, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 15, at the age of 85. Prengle served on the engineering faculty for 47 years, from 1952 to 1997, and helped build the department into a nationally recognized program. He also held several patents in chemical engineering and published numerous papers in the field of thermodynamics. After serving in the military during World War II, Prengle completed advanced degrees in chemical engineering at what is now Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He then worked as a senior engineer at the Shell Oil refinery in Deer Park before joining the faculty at the University of Houston.
The funeral will be at 10 a.m., Friday, Feb. 18, at Trinity Episcopal, 2401 Wilson, San Antonio, Texas 78228.