Former Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), now Air-Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), President Gurdon R. “Monk” Munger passed away. He was the third president of ARI, serving from 1974-1981. He came to ARI from the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI), where he served as general manager.

Munger was active in both ARI and ASHRAE (and its predecessor, ASRE). He served as technical secretary of ASRE from 1952 to 1955, working closely with the general technical committee and with the editorial board of the Refrigerating Data Books. He has served on the publications committee, TC 1.7, operation and maintenance management, and TC 6.4, in space convection heating. While a student at California Polytechnic Institute, he served as president of the Air Conditioning Club and was instrumental in obtaining accreditation of the institution from ASRE. He received a Distinguished Service award in 1970 and was elevated to the grade of fellow in 1979.

His tenure as president covered a period where ARI was first affected by major government regulations and initiatives. He also led ARI at a time of growth of standards development and certification program expansion and outreach with new public relations initiatives and promotion/communications efforts.

Publication date: 10/1/2012