William F. Hanrahan, former senior director for technology programs at the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), passed away on Thursday, June 5, 2014. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) offers its condolences to his family and friends and colleagues at ITI, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and its U.S. National Committee (USNC), and in the greater electrotechnical and standardization communities.
After receiving his bachelor of science degree in physics from Massachusetts' Boston College in 1951, he started his professional career as an electronic scientist at the U.S. Naval Ordnance Laboratory. He subsequently worked as a project engineer at ACF Industries Inc.'s Avion division and at Intelligent Machines Research Corporation, before becoming director of systems and applications at Farrington Manufacturing Company, a position he held from 1959 to 1974.
From 1974 until 1995, Mr. Hanrahan was employed by the Computer and Business Equipment Manufacturers Association (CBEMA), which changed its name to ITI in 1994. During his tenure there, he was responsible for overseeing CBEMA/ITI's involvement in standards and conformance work and the development of the organization's official positions on information technology (IT)-related standardization topics, among other duties. Following his retirement from ITI, Mr. Hanrahan worked as a consultant for the organization.
Mr. Hanrahan, an Honorary Life Member of the USNC, was an important supporter of the USNC's work, serving on its Executive Committee and as the vice chair of the IEC System of Conformity Assessment Schemes for Electrotechnical Equipment and Components (IECEE). He represented the Electronic Industries Association (EIA) as a member of the USNC Technical Management Committee (TMC). Mr. Hanrahan was also very active in ANSI, serving on its Executive Standards Council (ExSC), the ExSC's Accreditation Subcommittee, the ANSI Appeals Board, and the ANSI Information Technology Consultative Committee, among other roles. He also worked as an auditor for ANSI.
Mr. Hanrahan is survived by his wife, Patricia Ritter Hanrahan, as well as his son and grandson.