John M. Griffith, former Director of Technical Services and Applied Research for the Asphalt Institute, was primarily responsible for developing the Institute’s technical publications program. He also has a significant role in establishing viscosity grading concepts for asphalts.
He served on the Working Committee that developed the initial plans for the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) Road Test. Later, he was a member of the National Advisory Committee for the Road Test.
Mr. Griffith planned and developed the Institute’s research facilities at its former College Park, Maryland location. He was a member of the Executive Committee for several international conferences on the structural design of asphalt pavements. He was a long-time member of ASTM’s Committee D-4 on Road and Paving Materials and was elected an honorary member of the committee.
A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Mr. Griffith graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering. In 1943 he was employed by the Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station. There he made significant contributions to the development of the Corp’s methods for asphalt pavement thickness design. Mr. Griffith also headed early research efforts for the Corps to develop fundamental knowledge about the distribution of stresses and strains in asphalt pavement structures.
In 1953, the University of Michigan honored him as Distinguished Alumnus for his contributions to the advancement of knowledge on flexible pavements.
Elected: 1990
