GALLERY
GALLERY
GALLERY
These biographies have been compiled using information believed to be reliable, some submitted with these persons’ nominations to the Fluid Power Hall of Fame, and additional information on the Internet and other sources.
Lynn (Buck) L. Charlson (1909 – 2004)
Inducted 2019
Lynn (Buck) Charlson was a self-educated designer and inventor who founded the Char-Lynn company in 1942 (acquired by Eaton in 1970). His discovery of the gerotor principle, as well as the earliest high torque, low speed (HTLS) hydraulic motor led to his 94 patents. Charlson was inducted into the Minnesota Inventors Hall of Fame in 1985 and has been dubbed “the man who revolutionized hydraulics”. Millions of hydraulic motors – all based on Charlson’s original designs, are in use today across hundreds of applications including agriculture, mining, construction and transportation.
Willis (Willie) Franke (1945 – 2013)
Inducted 2019
Willis (Willie) Franke was the North American Director of Training for Altec Industries, headquartered in St. Joseph, Missouri. As a steadfast proponent of training and certification for both Mechanics and Technicians, Franke is responsible for hundreds of credentialed employees in the electric utility, telecommunications, and contractor industries. Franke was an adamant supporter of the International Fluid Power Society and had served as Vice President and member of the Board of Directors. He was for many years the standard-bearer for the success and growth of the IFPS’ Certification Program.
Raymond F. Hanley (1926 – 2015)
Inducted 2019
A proud U.S. Navy veteran of WWII, Ray Hanley became a degreed engineer and successful business owner. He served for many years as Certification Vice President for the International Fluid Power Society and was President of its Board of Directors in 1986-87. Hanley was the prime motivator and contributor for the development and implementation of the IFPS’ Certification Program and has been nicknamed the “Grandfather of Certification.” He was honored with the first IFPS Emeritus Certification. Hanley authored two publications: Math for Certification (2006) and Fluid Power Essential Practices (2011).
William C. Moog, Jr. (1915 – 1997)
Inducted 2019
William Moog, Jr., invented a valve that revolutionized the aircraft and missile flight control systems that made the moon landing possible. His “Moog Servovalve” linked (and continues to link) the computer and mechanical parts of aircraft and missile flight control systems while isolating the electrical from the hydraulic components. Moog was ahead of his time, addressing globalization by expanding Moog’s corporate presence to Germany in 1965. In the company which still bears his name, Moog’s founding principle still holds sway: “Work can be a more rewarding and satisfying experience for everyone in an atmosphere of mutual trust and confidence.”
Lawrence (Larry) G. Shea, Sr. (1927 – 2013)
Inducted 2019
Proudly retiring from the U.S. Navy after 22 years, having served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, Larry Shea went on to a successful 20-year career as a hydraulic engineer at Bethlehem Steel where he was responsible for 2500 hydraulic machines. Shea was a founding member of the IFPS local Lehigh Valley Chapter as well as a member of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers. He was a noted fluid power instructor, both in the Navy and at Bethlehem Steel, and continued to teach hydraulics at Valley Hydraulics and Air until he was 82.
Edgar (Bud) W. Trinkel, Jr. (1932 – 2009)
Inducted 2019
Noting that he began his fluid power professional career as a salesman of cylinders and valves, Bud Trinkel is quoted as remembering that he “never had to think about what it took to make the cylinders operate.” As President of Hydra-Pneu Consulting, founded in 1984, Trinkel designed fluid power circuits, provided training, and performed troubleshooting for industrial clients. Author of several books on fluid power, including Fluid Power Basics and Fluid Power Circuits Explained, Trinkel is quoted as saying that “teachers learn more than their students”.
Richard J. (Dick) Fontecchio (1948 - 2014)
Inducted 2021
Richard “Dick” Fontecchio entered fluid power in 1965 as an intern at Fluid Power Systems. In 1985, Dick co-founded HydraForce with Jim Brizzolara in Northbrook, Illinois. Dick insisted on quality products and excellent customer service as guiding principles. HydraForce was founded to fulfill the need for the finest quality hydraulic cartridge valves, provided with timely and responsive customer service. HydraForce now employs over 1000 people and manufactures in the United States and abroad. With Dick’s leadership as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, HydraForce introduced over 15,000 standard and proprietary cartridge valves and their electro-hydraulic controls. HydraForce’s pervasive culture of superior quality and outstanding customer service is a testament to Fontecchio’s legacy, commitment, and foresight. (See also Brizzolara biography.)
Harley E. Bergren (1917 – 2021)
Inducted 2021
World War II Army Air Corps veteran, Harley E. Bergren, passed away during 2021. Harley had been nominated as a living recipient but passed on March 19, 2021 – three days before his 104th birthday. From family and friends, we learned:
After WWII, Harley worked for Gates Rubber selling to agricultural equipment companies. Bergren moved to Char-Lynn for 1958 through 1966. In 1966, Bergren founded Power Systems in Minnesota, a fluid power distributor with expertise developing transmission systems. Harley retired in 1982 but held company stock until the 1998 sale of Power Systems. Colleagues remember Harley as a far-sighted inventor. He developed a unique lawn mower drive system before hydrostatics was invented, providing three forward speeds, neutral, and reverse using only a cam, a valve, and two gear pumps. In 1967, Harley developed the patent for a Hydrostatic Transmission and its attendant controls.
Constantine Kosarzecki (1936- 2015)
Inducted 2024
Constantine (Connie) Kosarzecki, a Holocaust survivor, Polish immigrant, and proud U.S. Army veteran, dedicated over five decades to the fluid power industry. His journey in fluid power began in 1958 when he was drafted into the Army, stationed at “Redstone Arsenal” in Huntsville, Alabama, working as a draftsman in a test laboratory of the ABMA (Army Ballistic Missile Agency), now known as NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). While there, he continued his education through night school.
In 1960, Connie joined Mead Fluid Power in Chicago, then moved to Parker Hannifin in 1962, Fluid Power System in 1964, and M.T.E. (Delta Power) in 1969. In 1972, he was one of the three founders of Modular Controls and served as the VP of Engineering, overseeing all engineering design, manufacturing, and production. Under his leadership, Modular Controls became the leading manufacturer of cartridge valves, collaborating closely with major companies like I.H. Case, John Deere, Caterpillar, and others on manifold and valve designs.
By 1986, Modular Controls had grown into a $25 million company and was acquired by Trinova (Vickers), where Connie continued to work for three years until December 1989. In January 1993, he founded Command Controls Corp., introducing the next generation of cartridge valves for enhanced reliability, higher flows, and pressure handling up to 5000 psi. Throughout his career, Connie was recognized for his expertise, publishing several articles, including "Hysteresis...Counterbalance Valve's Worst Enemy."
In 2009, Command Controls Corp. was acquired by Bucher Industries, marking the culmination of Connie's 51 years in the fluid power industry. Known as the "Grandfather of the hydraulic cartridge valves," Connie, along with Robert "Bob" Koski, filed for his first of nine patents in 1978, with many of his designs still in use today. His contributions to the field have been celebrated at numerous conferences and events, solidifying his legacy as “a pioneer in fluid power technology"