Richard Henige wins AISC's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award

Boston, MA According to LeMessurier, a leading structural and enclosure engineering firm based in New England, principal Richard Henige, PE, SE, has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). This national honor celebrates individuals who have made transformative contributions to AISC and the structural steel industry. Henige is one of only six recipients of this year’s award, recognized for his expertise in seismic and stability design and his remarkable 47-year career shaping the future of steel structures. 

Throughout his career, Henige has demonstrated technical mastery and design innovation to a wide array of iconic projects, both locally and internationally. His portfolio includes designs such as One Post Office Square, the over-build at Shriners Hospital for Children in Boston, and the Beijing Yintai Centre. Other notable projects include Harvard Business School’s Tata Hall, Bank of America Plaza in Dallas, the former AXA Tower in Singapore, Independence Temple in Missouri, and 1250 René-Lévesque in Montreal, Canada. His body of work also includes yet unbuilt Bank of the Southwest Tower in Houston and Moshe Safdie’s unbuilt design for Columbus Circle in New York. 

Throughout his career, Henige has earned the trust and respect of leaders at the highest levels of the industry while contributing to the advancement of the structural engineering field through his involvement with numerous boards, committees, and task forces. His career began at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he studied under renowned structural engineer Bill LeMessurier and served as his teaching assistant. Since joining LeMessurier’s firm in 1977, Henige has played a key role in projects of significant technical complexity, including the confidential engineering review of the Citicorp Center in New York in 1978. As a member of AISC Task Committees for 25 years, he was instrumental in developing the Direct Analysis Method for steel structures and has served on the AISC Committee on Specifications since 2010. Additionally, he has been a member of the Structural Advisory Committee to the Massachusetts State Building Code for over 25 years, contributing to major revisions of the state building code in that time. 

Reflecting on the honor, Henige said, “I am deeply grateful to be recognized by AISC, an organization that has been integral to advancing our profession. I’ve had the privilege of working on complex and rewarding projects that not only strengthen communities but also contribute to the evolution of structural engineering as a discipline.” 

Henige will officially receive the Lifetime Achievement Award during the opening session of the Steel Conference on April 2, 2025, in Louisville, KY.

“Designing, fabricating, and building with structural steel are team sports--and they work best in tandem,” said AISC president Charles Carter, SE, PE, PhD. “Our industry remains innovative thanks to MVPs from classrooms to executive boardrooms. It is an honor to recognize individuals like Richard Henige, whose expertise and dedication have helped shape the structural steel industry.” 

About the American Institute of Steel Construction: 
The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), a not-for-profit technical institute supported by the steel industry, partners with the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) community to develop safe and efficient steel specifications and codes while driving innovation to make steel the most sustainable, economic, and resilient structural material. For more than a century, AISC has been a reliable resource for information and advice on the design and construction of domestically fabricated structural steel buildings and bridges. 

About LeMessurier: 
LeMessurier is a nationally recognized structural and enclosure engineering firm known for its innovative approach to engineering and design. With a legacy of excellence spanning over six decades, the firm specializes in delivering creative, client-focused solutions for projects across a variety of sectors. LeMessurier is committed to advancing the field through technical rigor, collaboration, and a deep understanding of the built environment