Alan M. Voorhees, 1922-2005
Credit: Nancy Voorhees

The Legacy Project

Alan M. Voorhees

Alan M. Voorhees was one of this nation’s pivotal figures in city planning and transportation concerns. From Atlanta to Zurich, Alan M. Voorhees set the pace in initiating a myriad of ventures related to planning and transportation.

A list of the many projects piloted by Mr. Voorhees reflects the visionary role he took in creating blueprints for change, including development of planned cities such as Columbia, Maryland, and Canberra, Australia, and metropolitan transit systems such as the Washington Metro.

In 1961, he founded the transportation consulting firm of Alan M. Voorhees & Associates, Inc., which grew to include ten offices in the United States, as well as offices in Caracas, London, Melbourne, Sao Paulo, Toronto, and Zurich.

With Mr. Voorhees steering the course, the firm planned many of the metropolitan transit systems built in the free world in the 1960s and 1970s, including those in Washington, DC, and Atlanta, Georgia. In 1967, his firm merged with Planning Research Corporation, where he continued to work in transportation planning.

In the late 1970s, Mr. Voorhees moved his career into a new area to become dean of the College of Architecture, Art, and Urban Sciences at the University of Illinois-Chicago. In 1980, Mr. Voorhees’ multifaceted interests took him in new directions. He founded Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA), which has become one of the most successful commuter airlines in the country. ASA, now a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, Inc., is part of the Delta Connection with hubs in Atlanta and Dallas-Fort Worth.

Throughout his prolific career, Mr. Voorhees contributed extensively to the field of planning, serving as president of the American Institute of Planners and chairman of the Transportation Research Board, the largest unit of the National Academy of Sciences. He was the recipient of numerous awards and received honorary doctoral degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Voorhees College.

Mr. Voorhees was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and was a veteran of World War II. He received both a silver and bronze star for his distinguished service in the Pacific as a Navy Frogman, the precursor of today’s U.S. Navy SEAL.

Alan M. Voorhees Exhibit

Alan M. Voorhees Archive

The Alan M. Voorhees Exhibit draws upon materials from an archival collection assembled by former staff of Alan M. Voorhees & Associates, Inc. Plans call for the materials to be housed at Rutgers Special Collections and University Archives.

Transportation Library & Oral History Initiative

The Alan M Voorhees Transportation Library and Oral History Initiative is an effort to preserve the contributions and stories of renowned transportation professionals from New Jersey and throughout the United States. This project has three significant parts.

First, with the help of the Rutgers University Libraries, we collect, index, and archive documents, reports, and other materials that may be of historical significance to transportation planning and engineering that are not readily available through other sources. These resources are available through the Rutgers University Libraries.

Transportation Center Archives

With the help of the Rutgers University Libraries, we collect, index, and archive documents, reports, and other materials that may be of historical significance to transportation planning and engineering that are not readily available through other sources. These resources are available through the Rutgers University Libraries.

Oral History Initiative

We record, edit, and distribute oral history interviews with significant contributors to New Jersey and United States transportation planning. The goal of the project is to make these materials available in perpetuity for the research community and interested public.

Resources from Alan M. Voorhees & Associates

Friends and Alumni of Alan M. Voorhees & Associates has shared a collection of its reports, most of which date from the 1970s.

Funds for the collection of materials were made available through generous donations by the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center Advisory board members and the University Transportation Research Center grant program.

Alan M. Voorhees Oral History Initiative

The Alan M Voorhees Transportation Library and Oral History Initiative is an effort to preserve the contributions and stories of renowned transportation professionals from New Jersey and throughout the United States. This project has three significant parts.

As part of this effort, we record, edit, and distribute oral history interviews with significant contributors to New Jersey and United States transportation planning. The goal of the project is to make these materials available in perpetuity for the research community and interested public.

To date, we have interviewed and documented the careers of several prominent transportation professionals. Links to videos and transcripts are available below.

Resources from Alan M. Voorhees & Associates

Founded in 1961 by Alan M. Voorhees, the eponymous consulting firm, Alan M. Voorhees & Associates, specialized in transportation engineering and urban planning. The firm advanced projects worldwide, contributing to the development of subway systems in São Paulo, Hong Kong, Caracas, and Washington, D.C.

Below is a collection of reports authored by Alan M. Voorhees & Associates. Most of these documents date from the 1970s.

We thank the Friends and Alumni of AMV for sharing this list.

View Resources