Joe Phelan '83
Year: Class of 2024
Team: Football
Joe Phelan was a key member and leader of a class that started the resurgence of WPI’s football program, arriving in 1979, two years after the school seriously considered completely dropping the sport. At that point, WPI had the lowest win-loss percentage of any Division Ill team in New England. During his four years on the gridiron, the program launched a trajectory of success that carried it forward by establishing a winning culture and foundation for future teams.
The linebacker was at the heart of the historic 1980 season, the first winning campaign for the Engineers in 12 years. As a sophomore, Phelan was second on the team in tackles with 63 stops.
During his junior year, he had a team-high 94 tackles and was an All New-England Honorable Mention as WPI went 6-2 and earned its first win against Norwich in 18 years. The 1981 team was ranked #1 in scoring defense and #2 in scoring and rushing offense in New England.
“Joe was one of the greatest linebackers that WPI has ever had the privilege of having, stated former head football coach Bob Weiss. “He was relied on game in and game out and you could be certain that he would have more than his share of tackles each game.”
He was named a team co-captain as a senior and again led the Engineers with 110 tackles. He finished his career with an ECAC All-New England selection, an AP All-American Honorable Mention, and runner-up for the NE Football Newsletter 1982 Defensive Player of the Year.
Joe was a year older than me and I always looked up to him as a leader,” quipped Hall of Fame teammate Rob Henderson. “Not because he was older, but because he lead by example. His work ethic was foremost in the weight room, the library and the practice field. His senior year he fought off sickness quietly, yet performed at a high level. Joe is not only a champion of the gridiron but even more so as a person and a friend.”
Originally from Queens, New York, Joe went to high school in Vermont where he was a National Honor Society student and was named all-state in football as a member of the VT Shrine team. At WPI he was active in Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, played club lacrosse, and graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was the recipient of the Central Mass College Scholar Athlete Award.
After graduation, Joe’s career at GE began with a focus on manufacturing operations. He had roles in several businesses and rose to the level of Plant Manager with GE Healthcare, and to General Manager with GE Superabrasives and GE Aviation. Today, Joe is an investor and VP of Operations at technology start-up Arduro Sustainable Rubber, whose operation is currently located in Nova Scotia.
Joe is very proud of his two children and five grandchildren! His son, Joe, is an educator in Dublin, Ohio. His daughter, Jess, is a Human Resources senior manager for Parker Hannafin in Cleveland. In his free time Joe enjoys family time, staying fit, and traveling with his partner, Gia Singh.
