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Franklin M. Kreml, 91, a nationally recognized expert on traffic safety and a former vice president of Northwestern University, died Jan. 28 [1998] at Evanston Hospital.
Mr. Kreml, a retired Brigadier General, was buried at Ft. Sheridan Cemetery in a military graveside service. A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Feb. 11 at Alice Millar Chapel.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Kreml Leadership Award Fund at the Traffic Institute at Northwestern University, the nationšs leading traffic safety and law enforcement institute that Kreml founded in 1936.
Mr. Kreml, a Chicago resident and former long-time Evanston resident, first earned national recognition as director of the accident prevention bureau of the Evanston Police Department. Traffic fatalities were reduced from 16 to two per year, and Evanston was declared Americašs Safest City by the National Safety Council.
His traffic safety work led to the establishment of the Traffic Institute at Northwestern, of which Mr. Kreml served as director for 20 years. During that time he also served as director of the Traffic Safety Division of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
Mr. Kreml then directed the new Transportation Center at North- western from 1955 to 1962. He served as a vice president of Northwestern from 1962 to 1971. In that role, he directed planning and development of the 84-acre lakefront addition to the Evanston campus.
He retired from Northwestern in 1971 to become president of the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association of the United States. He then returned to Northwestern as associate director of the Transportation Center and a consultant and lecturer at the Traffic Institute.
In 1981 Mr. Kreml founded and served as president of the Consor-tium of Governmental Counselors, Inc., a non-profit organization that provided services to public officials. He was inducted into the Safety and Health Hall of Fame International in 1994.
Mr. Kreml also was known for his work on behalf of the Chicago Police Department. He was a member of the blue ribbon committee that selected O.W. Wilson to be Superintendent of Police following the Summerdale Police Scandals. He became the first president of the Chicago Police Board, serving from 1960 to 1971.
A long-time volunteer member of the National Safety Council, Mr. Kreml served as vice chairman of the councilšs board and held positions as chairman of the traffic law enforcement committee and vice president of traffic and transportation.
President Truman named Mr. Kreml secretary of the White House Conference Committee on Enforcement, and President Nixon named him chairman of the National Commission on Traffic Safety.
During World War II, Mr. Kreml saw active duty in Europe and also served in the Office of the Chief of Transportation in the Department of the Army. He commanded the 425th Transportation Brigade following the war and he retired in 1967 with the rank of Brigadier General.
A native of Chicago, Mr. Kreml attended the University of Wisconsin and Northwestern University and received a law degree from John Marshall Law School in 1932.
Mr. Kreml is survived by his wife, Barbara; a son, William Kreml of Columbia, S.C.; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
