Page 15 - Newsletter_Fall_2022

Spotlight on Alumni

By Richard Nickerson, ‘81

Dr. John Carson

Class of 1962

A few years ago, a beer company ran an ad campaign that His parents wanted him to attend college, but he knew that
featured a character called “The World’s Most Interesting it would be a difficult financial burden. He wanted to attend
Man”. The longer the campaign went on, the more we the Air Force Academy (and received the Congressional
learned about the character and how versatile he was. If the nomination), but was unable to pass the physical. He learned
Houlton High School Alumni Association were to run a of the Co-op program at Northeastern University in Boston
similar campaign, that man would be Dr. John Carson. that would allow him to help pay for school by working in
the industry of his chosen field of engineering.
Carson recently retired as president of Jenike & Johanson,
Inc., a world-renowned engineering consulting firm He found the transition from a rural Maine town to a major
specializing in the storage, flow and processing of powders city to be quite a shock, Fortunately, his best friend from
and bulk solids. Houlton, Dick Denton ’62, was only a 10-minute walk away
at Boston University. To this day, John and Dick remain the
He is the author of more than 140 professional articles best of friends.
on various topics He also lectures extensively. In 2015, he
received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American John recalls a significant moment at his freshman orientation
Institute of Chemical Engineers. The Award recognizes a where the Dean said, “look to your left and then to your
forum member’s lifetime outstanding scientific/technical right. One of the two will not be here for graduation.” He
contributions to the field of particle technology, as well as realized the importance of applying himself. He attributes
leadership in promoting scholarship, research, development, much of his success with the important lessons he learned
or education in this field. growing up in Houlton. One of those lessons, he learned in
the potato fields. “I learned valuable lessons of commitment,
“I learned valuable lessons of frugality and the satisfaction of completing a job no matter
how difficult.”
commitment, frugality and the

satisfaction of completing a job During his freshman year at Northeastern, he was offered an
internship at US Steel’s Fairless Works in Morrisville, PA. As
no matter how difficult.” a result of his work experience, he changed his major twice:
from chemical engineering to industrial engineering, then to
mechanical engineering. After two years at Fairless Works, he
John graduated from Houlton High School in 1962. While knew he didn’t want to work in a steel mill for the rest of his
there, he participated in the band, National Honor Society life.
and Hi-Y. He married his high school sweetheart and
classmate, Linda (Nadeau). Their first date was at Junior In the spring of 1967, John was offered a summer job at a
Prom and, other than a short break up during college, they’ve newly formed company, Jenike & Johanson.
been together ever since. John went on to graduate school and received a MS in 1968

and a PhD in 1970 from MIT. Upon graduation from

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