Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

2004 Distinguished Alumni
Mechanical Engineering
Class of 1963

Daniel Kasper was born in Fulton County, Ohio on April 3, 1940 to Carl and Angela Langenderfer Kasper. While at UT Dan was a member of the Student Union Board, and served as the Vice President, the Neumann Club, Theta Chi Fraternity and the ROTC program.

Dan met his wife Judy at UT while she was finishing her education degree. As newlyweds the couple moved to Ft. Hood in Texas where Dan served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. After his tour of duty, Dan was employed for one year at the DuPont Corporation in industrial sales in Wilmington Delaware. Dan was employed at Toledo Scale for 10 years as manager of their nationwide service operation.

In 1976 he pursued a life long dream of owning his own business by purchasing Harmon Sign from his aunt. What started out as a small family business started by his uncle in 1937, has blossomed into one of the most quality sign companies in Northwest United States. Harmon Sign began by producing quality signs for small scale restaurants and establishments and now includes larger scale projects such as Comerica Park — Tiger Stadium, Hockey Town, Ford Field — The Detroit Lions Stadium, Mud Hens Stadium, Fox Theatre, and The Toledo Zoo.

Dan serves on several professional associations such as the Legatus Society, which is an organization for Catholic CEO's, the International Sign Association, Midwest Sign Association, Toledo Sign Association and the Sylvania Chamber of Commerce. He tirelessly and generously contributes to The University of Toledo athletic program with signage and our own College of Engineering Formula One race car.

The reigns of the company have now been turned over to his son Jeff who serves as President of the now Harmon Sign and Planet Neon.

His younger son Greg is a vascular surgeon at St. Vincent's Medical Center here in Toledo, Ohio and has been recognized as the first neurosurgeon at St. V's to ever perform a cryoplasty procedure. Dan and Judy now reside in Bonita Springs, Florida.