This scholarship was established in August 2001 by Charlotte Circle, his wife, and his family and is awarded to students majoring in civil, environmental and geodetic engineering.
Bio provided by Alison Circle and Melanie Circle Brown, September 2024.
John Circle served as Franklin County Engineer (an elected position) for nearly twenty years. As such he was responsible for the planning, design, preparation and maintenance of 400 miles of roads throughout Franklin County, Ohio. This included more than 350 bridges and all related general safety and maintenance.
John relished his role as mentor to young people, which is why his family established his memorial scholarship. He actively spoke to students about the field of engineering and served as a judge at local science fairs. He served on the Civil Engineering Advisory Board for both The Ohio State University and Columbus State Community College. He was a successful advocate for adding evening engineering courses at OSU so students could earn advance degrees while working full-time.
A man of humble origins, growing up on a farm in Jackson County, Ohio, John pursued an engineering degree at the University of Oklahoma. His college career was interrupted by World War II, when he served as a combat engineer in Gen. Patton’s Third Army, and was awarded a Bronze Star Medal. John was a devoted family man and was married to Charlotte for over 50 years. He possessed a fierce intelligence and was an accomplished master of the cornball joke. He passed away in 2000.