Rodney J. Clifton: key obituary facts
Is Rodney J. Clifton dead? Yes. Rodney J. Clifton died on November 1, 2026, at age 89.
Cause of death: Rodney J. Clifton's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Rodney J. Clifton known for?
Rodney J. Clifton was a Civil engineer.
More about Rodney J. Clifton
Born: July 10, 1937.
Rodney J.
Clifton, an American civil engineer and professor, died November 1, 2026, aged 89. Born Rodney James Clifton in Orchard, Nebraska, on July 10, 1937, he was the son of a banker.
He studied civil engineering at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1959, and continued at Carnegie Mellon University, where he received a doctorate in 1964. Clifton went on to serve as a professor in the Department of Engineering at Brown University. There, he was named the Rush C. Hawkins University Professor and also received the designation of distinguished professor. His published works included *Orthotropic Plates with Eccentric Stiffeners* (1961), *Analysis of Dynamic Deformation of Elastic* (1963) and *Some Recent Developments in Fracture Mechanics* (1974). The titles name topics in orthotropic plates and eccentric stiffeners, dynamic deformation, and fracture mechanics. In 1989, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, followed in 2005 by election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His academic path took him from undergraduate engineering study in Nebraska to doctoral work at Carnegie Mellon and a professorship at Brown, alongside recognition from both organizations.