At the request of the officers of the Virginia Section ASCE, an effort has been made to write a brief history of the Section and at the same time incorporate a historical account of a number of interesting engineering accomplishments in Virginia. The effort is divided into two parts. The first part is the brief history of the Section and the second is a description of seven engineering projects of interest to the general reader.

Unfortunately, the early records of the Virginia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers are incomplete. An unsuccessful attempt was made to uncover the minutes of meetings held from the founding year 1922 until 1937. Regretfully, they have been misplaced. Should the records be resurrected at some future time this brief history in the first section of this paper can be rewritten.

In November 1966, the Virginia Section appointed a Committee on the History and Heritage of American Civil Engineering with special emphasis on the Commonwealth of Virginia, as a part of the accumulation of national records, to be recognized by the parent Society with appropriate markers or commendation. The chairman of the committee selected seven engineering works which date back to the 18th. century. The most recent project is on its way to completion. Not included are other works, which may quite well be recommended by officers or members of the Section and made a part of this limited record, such as the Blue Ridge Railroad Tunnel near Rockfish Gap the construction of which had close association in the 19th. Century with Claudius Crozet, the fourth Principal Engineer of the Virginia Board of Public Works.

J. M. Morgan, Jr./ J.C. Hanes
Lexington, Virginia
July 1973

 Top of Page

The Virginia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers is a vigorous, healthy organization providing for its members a professional engineering affiliation of the highest order at the State and local level.

DOUGLAS B. FUGATE
Report of the President
December 1960

The American Society of Civil Engineers

On November 5, 1852, twelve engineers met in the office of the Chief Engineer of the Croton Aqueduct Department, New York City. This meeting marked the beginning of a professional engineering movement in the United States under the name of American Society of Engineers and Architects with membership open to "Civil, Geological, Mining, and Mechanical Engineers and Architects and other persons who, by profession are interested in the advancement of science." The Society had as its objective "the professional improvement of its members, the encouragement of social intercourse among men of practical science, the advancement of engineering in its several branches, and of architecture, and the establishment of a central point of reference and union for its members."

As special branches of the profession developed other societies came into being in the new fields architectural in 1857, mining in 1871, mechanical in 1880, electrical in 1884, and chemical in 1908. Today with more than one million engineers in the country there are more than 200 professional and technical engineering societies of varying size and effectiveness.

In order to maintain and foster "the encouragement of social intercourse among men of practical science", as membership increased in size and dispersion, it became necessary to decentralize the Society. Today, there are four geographical Zones, each encompassing several states, 14 Regional Councils, 79 Sections and 109 Branches. In addition there are 183 Student Chapters in engineering colleges across the nation.

In its centennial year 1952, the American Society of Civil Engineers boasted a membership of 35,000; today 120 years after founding, membership stands at 66,600 with a membership active in all phases of the profession the Society and its constituent Sections look forward to a bright future.

The Virginia Section

The Virginia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, founded in 1922, has been a bulwark of the Society for half a century. The Section was founded seventy years after the parent organization was organized and today is one of 79 Sections constituting the parent organization. During the past half century, the Virginia Section has grown in membership, in importance, and particularly in service to the engineering profession. The first fifty years have been a period of development during which civil engineering reached a peak of importance not dreamed of by its charter members.

The object of the Virginia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers is the "advancement of engineering knowledge and practice, the cultivation of friendly relations with all engineers, the maintenance of high professional standards, and cooperation with other societies, with a view of promoting the general welfare of the engineering profession and the American Society of Civil Engineers." That purpose is being carried out by today's officers and members.

As the first organizational meeting was held in 1922, the annual meeting in December 1972, in Richmond, can be said to mark the 50th. anniversary of the Virginia Section. At one time the Section comprised all of the geographical boundaries of the Commonwealth. Today, the present boundaries include all of the Commonwealth except the City of Alexandria and the Counties of Fairfax and Arlington which have been assigned to the National Capitol Section.

From an original membership of less than 50, the Section grew to approximately 100 by 1932, to some 300 in 1942, almost to 600 in 1952, to 700 ten years later, and today the current membership of the Section comfortably tops the 1,100 mark. The Virginia Section enters its sixth decade as a strong and viable organization.

The strength of any organization lies in its purpose, membership, officers, and particularly in its student members who are rising to enter its ranks. Those who have served as officers, particularly the presidents, the hardworking secretaries and treasurers, and the devoted service of countless others, have formed an organization of which all members can be justifiably proud.

Five past Section presidents have served as national Directors and members of the national Society's Board of Direction. These officers have been:

Two members of the Virginia Section have served as national presidents of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Mr. Edgar M. Hastings, Section President 1930-1933, held the second highest national ASCE office in 1943-44 and capped his service as Society president in 1947. Mr. William Roy Glidden, whose other service is listed above, was vice president of the Society in 1951-52 and served effectively as president of the Society in 1955. The Section is justifiably proud of its past presidents who have performed so capably as Directors and in the highest national offices.

To effect closer contacts and to improve communications between Sections and the Board of Direction of the Society, a number of regional councils have been developed and organized according to the Society's Constitution and By-Laws. The councils are encouraged to participate constructively in public and legislative affairs of interest and concern to civil engineers within the geographical, state or interstate areas of council jurisdiction. The Virginia Section, which is located in Zone II, the southeastern zone of the Society, is a member of District 6 Council, founded in 1951, which now includes the Nashville, North Carolina, Tennessee Valley, Virginia, and West Virginia Sections. In earlier years, the Virginia Section had association with portions of eastern Ohio, the Pittsburgh Section, and the South Carolina Section. Virginia has, in the past, also been aligned with the District V Council which included the National Capitol and Maryland Sections. Geographical boundaries of the Councils change as a result of Section membership totals. The Society reviews boundaries of the Councils every ten years or so.

In the half century of its development, and like its parent, the Section has found it expedient to diversify its organizational structure and establish branches in strategic locations throughout the Commonwealth. Maintaining and developing professional interests among civil engineers in Virginia has thereby been encouraged by shortening distances for members to gather frequently and exchange ideas through presentation of papers on local projects or to hear speakers of national distinction. The branches have been quite active in attracting additional memberships and generating professional interests among young civil engineers.

The Virginia Section participated actively in the fund raising campaign for the United Engineering Center in New York City. The campaign was organized on a local level through the three branch sections and there was a campaign to reach the members of the Virginia Section not belonging to a branch section. The latter effort was organized directly among the directors and officers of the section. The Virginia Section's goal for this endeavor was $13,300. By 1960, the goal was met by the outstanding work on the part of the Section membership, particularly those from the Richmond Branch. A major contribution to the fund was made by Charles E. Via, Jr., a President of the Virginia Section in 1957-58.

The business of the Section is carried on in meetings of the Board of Directors. Officers give of their time to attend these meetings which are held throughout the state and which invariably extend into a program scheduled by a local Branch or an annual meeting. The interest and zeal with which the officers carry out their duties is a credit to themselves and to the Virginia Section which they represent. The annual meeting may be held between November 1 and March 1 and at such time and place as the Board of Directors designates. Other meetings are called at the discretion of the Board of Directors; a written request of at least 10 members is required for the President to call a special meeting.

Officers of the Section

As each successful organization must have dynamic leadership, the Virginia Section has been fortunate in having energetic and reliable men serve as officers. The list of presidents and other officers contain names prominent in civil engineering circles in the Commonwealth. Of particular interest to those in the highway field is the fact that three of the presidents General James A. Anderson, Henry G. Shirley, and Douglas B. Fugate—have been Highway Commissioners.

According to the current Article IV of the Constitution which will be found in Appendix A, the officers of the Section shall be a president, first vice president, a second vice president, a third vice president, a secretary, and a treasurer. The officers, the latest living past president, and two directors elected from among the members at large constitute a Board of Directors in which the governance of the Section is vested. The two directors, normally selected on a rotation basis, are elected for terms of two years with service commencing at the close of the annual meeting. One director is elected each year so that their terms will not be concurrent. The directors have frequently been selected from among faculty advisers of the Student Chapters of the four engineering colleges. Officers are elected at an annual meeting for terms of one year and these terms begin at the close of the annual meeting and continue until their successors are installed. Only members of the Section are eligible for election. In addition, the presidents of each Branch within the Section are members of the Board of Directors. Normally, once elected to the third vice presidency, the elected member is advanced to the other vice-presidential positions and finally to president. As the immediate living past president is a member of the Board of Directors of the Section, such an arrangement provides continuity and results in strong, continuous leadership.

The secretary-treasurer position on the Board of Directors was longest occupied by Mr. P. A. Rice of Richmond. His service in an appointed capacity—from 1931 until late in 1945 spans the longest period of any single officer according to the records available. The early records and minute books were painstakingly kept by him and they serve not only as factual history but as an excellent guide for other Section secretaries. In a pencilled note at the end of the 9 November 1945 minutes of the annual Fall meeting in Roanoke, attended by one of the authors of this work who spoke on the topic "G.I. Joe Returns to College," Mr. Rice wrote, "It is with regret that I feel compelled to give up the office of Secretary-Treasurer which I have held for fifteen years. It has been a source of much pleasure to me as in this way I have become acquainted with most of the membership and have made many friends in this way. I am sure a new secretary-treasurer will be better for the Section." Mr. Rice, affectionately known as "Perley" by almost all of the membership, later served as vice-president and president. No one who knew or worked with him could wholeheartedly agree with his last sentence.

At the annual meeting in December 1955 it was decided to alter the method of appointing the secretaries and treasurers. These offices are now separate and the persons filling them are elected annually on the same ballot as are other officers.

With the aid of many persons, and the extant records, it has been possible to reconstruct a chronological list of Section presidents, Branch presidents, secretary-treasurers, assistant secretary treasurers, secretaries and treasurers. These lists will be found at the end of the paper as Appendix B.

As far back as the Fall meeting of 1940, there was a discussion as to the appropriate ways and means to further the activities of the Section in the western part of the state. Mr. E. S. Thomas, later President of the Virginia Section in 1941-42, was appointed chairman of a committee to study and report. Thus was born the idea of "sub-section" or branches as they are now known. The Board of Directors for many years held business meetings in Roanoke which coincided with the annual Fall meeting of the Section.

Today, one of the noteworthy features of the Section is the professional and business-like operation of the several branches. But, for 33 years the business and activities of the Section were carried on solely at the December annual meetings and other seasonal meetings held throughout the several geographical regions of the state. However, when the membership had reached approximately 600 it was evident that the Section was not meeting the best interests of its loyal members solely with annual and seasonal meetings. The officers of the Section encouraged active members in several geographical regions to organize other interested members in their areas who would then petition the Section to form geographical units known as branches. To meet the technical and professional needs of the members at the local level and assist them in accomplishing the purposes of the Section, the officers of the Virginia Section, with appropriate approval from the national Society, encouraged the formation of six branches, three in the 1950's and three in the 1960's, to serve members at one or more centers of engineer population.

Therefore, in 1955, the Section was geographically subdivided to provide branches in only three areas of the Commonwealth. Successful formation of these branches at that time in Norfolk, Richmond, and Roanoke later led to the establishment of the Peninsula Branch in 1966 to include the Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg areas. In 1967 the Blue Ridge Branch was organized to serve both sides of the mountain range from whence its name, as well as Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton, Waynesboro, and portions of the Shenandoah Valley. Two years later, the sixth branch to be organized was successfully chartered in Northern Virginia as the Bull Run Branch. The geographical boundaries of the several branches include:

Norfolk—Counties of Accomack, Greenville, Isle of Wight, Nansemond, Northampton, Southampton, Surry, Sussex, and the Cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Portsmouth.

Roanoke—Counties of Alleghany, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Buchanan, Campbell, Carroll, Craig, Dickenson, FIoyd, Franklin, Giles, Grayson, Henry, Lee, Montgomery, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Pulaski, Roanoke, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, Wythe, and the Cities of Roanoke and Salem.

Richmond—Counties of Amelia, Appomattox, Brunswick, Buckingham, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Fluvanna, Goochland, Halifax, Hanover, Henrico, Louisa, Lunenberg, Mecklenberg, New Kent, Nottoway, Orange, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, and the City of Richmond.

Peninsula—Counties of Gloucester, James City, King and Queen, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, Northumberland, York, and the Cities of Poquoson, Williamsburg, Newport News, and Hampton.

Blue Ridge—Counties of Albemarle, Amherst, Augusta, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Frederick, Greene, Highland, Loudoun, Madison, Nelson, Page, Prince William, Rappahannock, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Shenandoah and Warren.

Bull Run—All remaining counties except Fairfax and Arlington and the City of Alexandria.

Each branch elects a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer or Secretary-Treasurer in accordance with its Constitution and By-laws for the orderly and efficient conduct of its business of professional and technical affairs. A list of presidents of the branches will be found in Appendix C.

The branches have become the mainstays of our organization. They provide our members monthly or periodic contacts with ASCE. By personal contact and guest attendance at branch meetings they stimulate interest in ASCE among non-Society engineers. Local participation in branch affairs has strengthened interest in ASCE and the activities of the branches have greatly increased Section membership and heightened interest in the Society as a whole.

Membership Growth

The Section did not grow rapidly in its early years. Starting with less than fifty members in 1922, growth was quite slow for the first fifteen years and the total membership probably never exceeded 100. Thereafter, the section grew quite steadily until 1962. Since then the membership has shown remarkable strides and the great increase is surely a direct result of the increased professional and technical activities at the branch level. At the end of 1972 the membership stood at 1,113.

Annual Meetings

Annual meetings of the Section have been held, generally during the months of November, December, January or February, at various geographical locations throughout the state. Since World War II the practice has been to hold the annual meeting in Richmond, generally in the gracious surroundings of the Hotel Jefferson. However, annual meetings have also been held at the Hotel John Marshall. The Fiftieth Anniversary meeting was successfully conducted at the Executive Motor Hotel on West Broad Street; the session was held there because of a conflict of scheduling dates at the Hotel Jefferson.

Annual meetings have often been gala affairs. Business and/or technical sessions have frequently been scheduled in the afternoons followed by a social hour and banquet in the evening. There have been several occasions, when these two affairs have been combined, but this practice has been rare.

From an inspection of the available minutes and copies of annual programs it has been amazing how diversified the programs have been. Topics have always been timely. Many of the Section members have been annual banquet speakers or presented papers at the technical sessions. In addition, speakers of state and national prominence have addressed the annual meetings. To show the great diversity of speakers, a sampling of over the years includes: William H. Wisely, Executive Director, American Society of Civil Engineers; Eugene T. Jensen, Regional Director, Federal Water Pollution Control Administration; Frank C. Murray, Australian Consul in New York City; Honorable David E. Satterfield, III, Member of Congress, Third Congressional District of Virginia; Edward J. Ward, Chief, Engineering and Research, Northeast Corridor Transportation Project; Honorable Mills E. Godwin, Lieutenant (and later) Governor of Virginia; Thomas C. Boushall, President, Bank of Virginia; Reverend A. D. Hudgins, Pastor of the Franklin Baptist Church, Franklin, Virginia; Hal H. Hale, Executive Secretary, American Association of State Highway Officials; Wilbur Smith, Consulting Engineer of Columbia, South Carolina; William N. Carey, Executive Secretary, American Society of Civil Engineers; Honorable W. Stirling King, Mayor of the City of Richmond; Gustav J. Requardt, Consulting Engineer of Baltimore, Maryland; and Thomas Lomax Hunter, "The Cavalier."

No less than ten national presidents and past presidents have visited the Virginia Section on official occasions and have spoken, some in prepared talks and others briefly, at annual meetings. In addition to Virginia's own two ASCE Presidents, Edgar M Hastings and William Roy Glidden, these gentlemen have visited with our Section: Donald H. Sawyer in 1939; Frederick H. Fowler in 1941; Carlton S. Proctor in 1952; and Samuel S. Baxter in 1971.

A highlight of the annual meeting of 1959, held at the Hotel Jefferson in Richmond, was the presence of the Executive Committee of the Board of Direction of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Present in Richmond and attending the banquet of the annual meeting of the Section were:

Francis S. Friel, President, ASCE
Louis R. Howson, Past President, ASCE
Mason G. Lockwood, Past President, ASCE
Waldo G. Bowman, Vice President, Zone I, ASCE (later President)
Paul L. Holland, Vice President, Zone II, ASCE
Lloyd D. Knapp, Vice President, Zone III, ASCE
Samuel B. Morris, Vice President, Zone IV, ASCE

The principal address was given by President Friel. Past President Louis R. Howson then awarded certificates of Life Membership to George K. Davis, Earl 0. Heaton, William D. Henderson and Eugene S. Thomas.

While not attending an annual meeting, two other ASCE presidents have officially visited Virginia while holding office. Dean Dan V. Terrell attended a District 6 Council meeting at Hotel Ingleside, Staunton, in July 1954, and Richard H. Tallow, III, in September 1968 visited with the Richmond Branch to speak on "Education and Civil Engineers."

A highlight of the 1965 annual meeting in Richmond was the presentation of a talk, "Richmond Subsoil Properties as Affecting Design and Construction of Foundations." The paper, authored by the eminent Dr. L. Casagrande, Professor of Soil Mechanics and Foundations, Harvard University, was considered to have such import and local interest that the firm of Froehling and Robertson of Richmond published and distributed the talk.

Liaison With Other Societies

Since its very earliest days, the Section has had very close liaison with other engineering clubs and organizations throughout the Commonwealth. The first document in the earliest Section minute book, which begins in 1937, is an announcement published by the Engineers Club of Hampton Roads which outlines the fact that ASCE, AIEE (forerunner of IEEE), ASME, AIA, the Hampton Roads Chemists Club and the Engineers Club of Hampton Roads would hold a joint meeting at Hotel Monticello in Norfolk on Friday, 30 April. These joint meetings were the forerunner of the continuing and highly successful conferences known as the Joint Meeting with Virginia Engineering and Technical Societies which have more recently been generally scheduled at Hotel Chamberlain at Old Point Comfort in the month of June.

The joint meeting format in 1937 was quite similar to those of recent years. Business meetings of the various state sections were scheduled. Founder Societies sponsored a broad ranging scope of technical sessions and an evening banquet was capped with an address of general interest. In 1937, Sir. Charles F. Goodrich, Chief Engineer of the American Bridge Company, had as his topic, described so carefully in the announcement, "The San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge accompanied by sound motion pictures and stereopticon slides."

At the joint meeting in the following April, also held in Norfolk, it was proposed by the Engineers Club of Hampton Roads that the joint meeting of the various societies should be held elsewhere in the state other than Norfolk. Action was taken on this proposal and in January 1939, the joint meeting was held in Richmond. A group of some 350 engineers were in attendance and the assemblage was welcomed by Governor James H. Price at the John Marshall Hotel. The following year the joint meeting returned to Norfolk; there is no record to reveal that this joint meeting has since been scheduled away from the Tidewater area. The Section continues its association with the Engineers Club of Hampton Roads and in more recent years has held its annual September meeting with that organization.

During Engineers Week, which normally is that week in which George Washington's birth date falls, the Section has, in some recent years jointly been a sponsor for and participated in the Richmond Area Engineering and Science Banquet. Also in Richmond, over the years, there have been a number of joint meetings, normally in the spring, with the Central Virginia Engineers Club.

Junior Forums

Under the personal sponsorship of Colonel Robert A. Marr, Jr., Professor and Head of Civil Engineering at VMI, a number of highly successful meetings, called Junior Forums, were held in the early 1950's. The meetings, devoted to timely topics of interest to young engineer members of the Section, were held at several locations throughout the state. The young engineers then had the official ASCE membership designation of "Junior Members." The practice of sponsoring such meetings waned after some 10 years when the title "Junior, was dropped and the designation associate member came into vogue. The last two such affairs, which were designed to promote the interest and participation of young engineers in the Section, were held at Langley Field in September 1959 and in Richmond in the Reynolds Metals Building in 1961, also in September.

Communications

After several years of attempting to publish a Section Newsletter, success was achieved in 1965 when Hyman J. Fine of Norfolk, later a Section President, carried through the task he had promised the Board of Directors he would accomplish. He was succeeded in that task by Charles E. Echols, also later a President Brooke B. Chamblin assisted Mr. Echols in 1967 and carried on capably until 1971 when John W. Flora became the Editor.

The Newsletter has proven to be highly successful and has served as a medium to keep the Section membership informed of important and pressing matters. It has been well received and serves as an interesting and important means of communication for the membership.

In the Fall of 1951, The Virginia Engineer was first published. At that time, or shortly thereafter, members in good standing of the Virginia Section ASCE were put on the mailing list. The name of the publication published monthly by the Virginia Society of Professional Engineers, was changed on 1 January 1970 to The Virginia Professional Engineer. The attractive publication has greatly helped increase communications among the membership of all engineering societies in the Old Dominion and those who monthly read the magazine can keep well abreast of matters of engineering importance.

Committees

The Virginia Section has been exceedingly fortunate in having dedicated engineers who have performed faithful, diligent and important work in various committee assignments. Committees have been established to provide constructive activity at the Section level. Some committees have been of an ad hoc nature, formed to answer specific questions or provide continuity to a project of only several years duration. Others have been of long standing for specific purposes. At one time there was even a Committee on Committees whose charge was to review the organization, administration, and operation of all committee activities of the Section, and to recommend specific improvements for better service to the membership.

As in any organization, however, committee work has waxed and waned with the interest of members assigned these duties. The Board of Directors always devotes much attention to the work and performance of the Section technical committees. In some cases, committees that were appointed annually in the various technical fields of Section interest simply did not function. In 1960, the Board, facing the obvious, declared a moratorium on technical committees. Following that action, small, workable committees in certain restricted fields were reconstituted and given goal-oriented and attainable objectives. Thereafter, the committee structure and effectiveness appeared to improve.

Committees deemed necessary for the operation of the Section may be appointed from time to time by the President. Only four committees are currently required by the Constitution to be appointed each year: Program, Membership, Hospitality, and Public Relations.

Many members will recall their service on a single or a number of committees whose roll call is a long one. Literally thousands of man-hours have gone into their productive deliberations. An inspection of the record reveals the following partial list of activity since 1937 by specific committee title: Assistance to Student Chapters, Awards and Prizes, Building Codes, Committee on Committees, Constitution and By-Laws, Council of Engineers and Architects, Direct Assistance to Veterans (following World War II), Economic Status of the Engineer, Employment Conditions, Engineering Education, Engineer Training, Engineers Joint Council, Engineers Council for Professional Development, Field Trips, Fiftieth Anniversary, Financial Study of Branch and Section Operations, Fluid Mechanics, Highways, History and Heritage, Hospitality, Junior Members, Legislation, Legislative, Legislative Involvement Masonry and Reinforced Concrete, Membership, Model Law for Dams, Nominating, Planning Commission District Personnel Review, Post War Planning and Construction (following World War II ), Program, Programs and Goals, Public Affairs, Public Relations (or Publicity), Publishing of Newsletter, Registration of Geologists, Representation of Members, Railway Engineering, Sewage and Industrial Wastes, Soil Mechanics, Structural Members, Student Affairs, Student Chapters, Surveying and Mapping, Technical Papers, Transportation Policy, Water Planning Committee, Water Pollution Control, Water Resources, and Water Supply, and so forth.

As President Charles E. Echols so forcefully stated in his annual report in 1971, ". . . there are many hidden pearls of capability and gems of incentive hidden in our members. This latent talent is desperately needed to keep our internal structure vigorous and to provide the public the fruits of our resourcefulness in the many political and social spheres that don't know enough about our engineering potential to plead for our services." So, we have strength in our organization and, "the immediate need of the Virginia Section is to determine the meaningful ways we can continue our strength and build on it. Individual member skills, interests and direction need to be crystallized and cultivated in this context."

Engineering Education

Engineering education in Virginia is a fascinating subject. The first engineering courses were offered in the Commonwealth at the University of Virginia in 1827. Ten years later, according to the University RECORD of 1836-37, individual course listings were published under the heading of a "School of Engineering" although the "School" may have been more like a department of engineering today. The Virginia Military Institute has offered courses in civil engineering since 1839 and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University since 1872. Old Dominion University first offered junior-level engineering courses in 1964, having been authorized the year before to establish a school of engineering.

As opposed to courses, the initial engineering degree in the state was awarded by the University of Virginia in 1869 when the first four-year course was completed after the end of the Civil War. VMI followed suit the next year but limited the awarding of a degree to distinguished graduates only in civil engineering. A mining engineer degree was the first awarded in 1885 at VPI&SV and the first baccalaureate engineering degrees at Old Dominion in 1966.

The four cited institutions of higher education are the Commonwealth's state-supported colleges with engineering curricula accredited by the Engineers Council for Professional Development. Jointly they have graduated thousands of civil engineers over their respective periods of history. Many of the civil engineering graduates of these outstanding engineering colleges have risen to national prominence. Washington College, shortly after the end of the Civil War under the leadership of General Robert E. Lee, instituted a civil engineering curriculum which flourished until the mid-1930's when the department was abolished. Washington and Lee University still teaches basic engineering courses and its graduates so interested participate in a "3-2 Program" spending three years in Lexington and then attend other participating engineering colleges; the successful graduate of the program receives a W&L bachelors degree in science and another bachelors degree from the second college in engineering, often civil.

In 1961, there was considerable discussion in engineering circles concerning the desirability of establishing a fourth engineering curriculum in Virginia, namely, at the then Old Dominion College. The Board of Directors. of the Virginia Section took the matter under advisement and the president of the section appointed a special committee consisting of five members. There were two members at large on the committee and three others representing the western, central, and eastern portions of the Commonwealth. The committee carefully reviewed all of the pertinent information before it, including voluminous studies by federal and state agencies as well as by private individuals. Ultimately, the committee unanimously voted that it was the sense of the group that the facts presented amply demonstrated the desirability and feasibility of the establishment of a four-year engineering curriculum at Norfolk.

In the matter of credentials of engineering administrators in educational institutions, the Virginia Section took a positive position in 1969. Following much discussion, the Section went on record to recommend to the presidents of the four engineering colleges in Virginia that whenever engineering department heads or deans of engineering were to be appointed or selected that these individuals be carefully chosen and that they also be experienced professional engineers. When the District 6 Council met in Virginia in 1970, the Council took similar action urging all sections within the Council to make similar recommendations within their geographical jurisdictions.

Student Chapters

Student Chapters of ASCE are intended to be an excellent means to help the civil engineering student prepare himself for entry into the engineering profession and to the Society. The student organization serves as a fine medium for introducing the student to professional contact with the engineering world. Chapter members gain experience by preparing, presenting and discussing papers, they conduct meetings and chapter activities, hold office, invite and entertain guest speakers, visit construction sites, prepare society report, and have access to Society publications.

Interest in student activities in Civil engineering was evident early in Section affairs. The Virginia Military Institute organized its Student Chapter in 1921, the year before the Virginia Section was formed. The University of Virginia and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University both chartered student chapters the next year coincidental with the year of the Virginia Section's formation.

In 1955, the first-and second-year engineering students at the then Norfolk Division of William and Mary-VPI initially affiliated in ASCE matters with the VPI Chapter and two years later the Norfolk students formed a branch of the VPI Chapter. This relationship continued until 1965 when a national charter for a separate Chapter was granted to the engineering students of what by that time had emerged as Old Dominion College and is now known as Old Dominion University. Many of the outstanding members of the Virginia Section are graduates of these four distinguished engineering colleges.

The Student Chapter of the Virginia Military Institute has gained national prominence in ASCE affairs. In 1966, that Chapter was awarded the first Robert Ridgway Student Chapter Award as the "single most outstanding Student Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers." In addition, the VMI Student Chapter holds the national record of outstanding performance, having won the National President's annual certificate of achievement for a total of 34 times, a number several times greater than any other Student Chapter in the United States.

To foster competition among the several student chapters, the Society has encouraged the formation of organized student chapter conference groups. The Virginians Conference now has five Chapters in its membership—Old Dominion University, VMI, VPI&SU, University of Virginia and West Virginia Institute of Technology. Each spring, one Chapter acts as host to the others and arranges at least a full-day activity. The meetings include a brief business session, student paper competition, and an appropriate field trip to a nearby engineering facility already completed or one under construction. In addition, every Fall, the Virginia Section, in cooperation with either the Blue Ridge Branch or the Roanoke Branch, invites the four chapters located in the Commonwealth to its regular Fall meeting. At the annual meeting of the Section, generally held in Richmond, the Virginia Section invites each Student Chapter to submit technical or professional papers for competition. The papers received are independently judged by the Section without reference to source, and the student declared the winner is invited to appear on the program at the Section's annual meeting and is awarded a cash prize.

Therefore, through the following efforts student interest is kept high and interest in the Society and the Section is engendered: (1) Annually, the Section makes an award of twenty-five dollars to the outstanding Civil Engineering graduate, as selected by the head of the Department at each of the four engineering schools; (2) Annually, at the Spring Student Chapter Conference, which rotates among the four schools, papers are presented on engineering subjects by student members and the most outstanding oral presentation receives the Hardy Cross Award. This award, which was originally donated by the Norfolk Branch consists of a silver cup for the individual and a large silver bowl to be retained by the school until the award is won by a student from another school. The late Hardy Cross, who was born in the Tidewater area, taught at Norfolk Academy before he became a nationally recognized engineer in his work in moment distribution of column analogy. His last home was in Virginia Beach, Virginia; (3) Annually, as a part of our annual meeting, papers are prepared by senior students on an engineering subject and judged by a team of qualified engineers. The winner presents his paper at the annual meeting, at which time he receives a twenty-five dollar award.

Four persons play vital roles in all Chapter activities. The head of the departments of civil engineering in the four engineering colleges give encouragement. The Chapter faculty adviser is the driving force behind civil engineering student activity and these gentlemen are truly the unsung heroes to whom so many plaudits are due. Finally, each Student Chapter in Virginia has two assigned members of ASCE who are engaged in engineering practice and who serve as contact members or associate contact members. These practicing engineers, who are appointed by the ASCE Board of Direction upon recommendation of the District Director, work closely with the chapters.

The minutes through 1937 are not complete in all respect with awards presented individual students or the names of the chapters receiving the annual coveted ASCE certificates of commendation. For the record then, there is listed in Appendix D all of the awards since the year 1966-67, the date of the first Hardy Cross Award, and the first full year of activity after the Old Dominion University received its national charter as a Chapter in 1965.

The record of receipt of Certificates of Commendation is particularly noteworthy as the Virginia Student Chapters compete against some 38 other Chapters in Zone II. Usually only ten or eleven certificates are presented annually. The Section has every right to be proud of outstanding record of competition in this endeavor.

Comments by Past Presidents

In anticipation of the preparation of this work, all living past presidents of the Virginia Section were invited by President Dischinger to make any comments they believed pertinent as the Section made plans for its 50th. Anniversary. Those officers listed below made comments which are worthy of incorporating in the official record of the first half-century of the Section.

Donald S. Wallace, President, 1948-49. "When I was President in 1949 we held quarterly meetings in Richmond, Norfolk, etc., with the annual meeting in Richmond in January. The establishment of the Branches has met a need but I think the result of such activity spread over the State has reduced interest and attendance at our annual meeting. As you know it has been difficult to draw together our membership scattered over Virginia and not too many can take the time, and perhaps the cost, of a long drive to Richmond for an overnight stay. It seems now the annual meeting draws mostly from the city and nearby areas, except for officers of the Branches.

"One outstanding event we had in 1949 was a summer meeting, July 23, 1949, at Buggs Island Dam. John Roberts, Secretary Treasurer, and I made arrangements with the Corps of Engineers at Norfolk and we issued invitations to a number of other engineering groups and allied organizations. Colonel George T. Derby of Norfolk was most helpful and I invited General Lewis A. Pick, Chief of Engineers, to attend and speak. We had a large crowd, as I recall nearly 400, at least several hundred, (actually 176 members of the Virginia Section and 284 members of other engineering groups from Virginia and North Carolina), and this was considered to be one of the largest meetings of engineers ever held in Virginia. General Pick gave a good talk as well as Colonel Derby. The Corps of Engineers provided luncheon at the cafeteria, after which we inspected the construction project.

"General Pick was a happy choice for honored guest since he grew up in Brookneal and was graduated from VPI. As you may recall, there were engineers who questioned the justification of the vast river basin development proposed by the Corps of Engineers. Private power companies opposed public power competition, railroads opposed subsidized navigation and at that time Virginia political heads took a dim view of the New Deal policies and Federal domination over the states. But the meeting proved to be quite successful, brought many engineers together, and provoked thought even though not all engineers may have been persuaded as to the economic justification of the project.

"How effective do I feel the ASCE and the Virginia Section have been? I do think we have succeeded fairly well but doubt we have achieved many brilliant accomplishments, particularly in the field of public relations. Engineers, with some exceptions, are a cautious and inarticulate group; we do not excel in sophisticated arguments, like lawyers. We try to avoid bitter controversy or we hesitate to get involved and we are scared of politicians. So, I guess we have to make haste slowly. Perhaps we have improved from l922 to date. I hope so."

P. H. McGauhey, President, 1950-51. "My objective as President was twofold. First, to get together with my friends from time to time and enjoy the fellowship for which the Section was then (and I trust, still is) famous. My second objective was to convince NSPE that ASCE was good for another hundred years, and, having objectives which NSPE could not possibly embrace, would have to be permitted to stagger on into the future. You will recall that in those times it was thought that the medical profession was strong because it had only one parent professional organization, rather than because it controlled the enrollment to medical schools and had a special relationship to the citizen that a similar engineering organization could not inherit. I do not know whether my modest efforts had anything to do with the outcome. More likely the glacier-like inertia of ASCE (not the Virginia Section) was the real force. In any event ASCE continued to serve its goals and so the time of my presidency saw its goals accomplished either by our efforts or by history. In later years I joined NSPE and was active in its local section here in California for a while. Meanwhile, I continued active in ASCE, which I found more to my liking. I say these things not to belabor NSPE, which has made its significant contributions, but to suggest that our objectives in the Section in 1951 still strike me as sound."

L. S. S. Smith, President, 1958-59. "I have a general comment on the effect of the Section through the years. It has and does promote professionalism in the State and in its members and has promoted the civil engineer to the citizens of the Commonwealth although not to the degree that the doctors and lawyers do.

"As I remember my year, it was a continual effort to raise our quota for the campaign for the United Engineering Center in New York. Many good Virginians couldn't see handing out their hard earned dollars for a project up in Yankee New York! My annual report stated that we had raised only 49% of our goal of $13,300 or $6,475 a dismal showing.

"You probably remember, I'll never forget, at the Board meeting on December 4, 1959, at the John Marshall Hotel I was vainly trying to conduct the proceedings while being bothered by Charlie Via on my right. I finally listened to him and heard him ask what was the latest figure on the balance due. He then personally pledged the remaining, some $6,700. It broke up the Board meeting. He was true to his pledge. You remember he died about two months later. This was a most generous and unprecedented gift."

D. H. Pletta, President, 1965-66. "Unfortunately we have not done as much professionally as we should have. As a result, we have seen vast new private and governmental bureaucracies develop. These are now formulating policies and forcing their decisions on American industry. I need only point out the impact of Nader's criticism of the automotive industry, or of the development of anti-pollution agencies sired by our federal government.

"During the intervening years, ASCE has initiated an entire new dimension in its service to members. I refer here particularly to the professional activities sphere and the work that is being done to enhance unselfish professional service to the public, to improve the image of the society and the profession in the public sector, and to enhance the professional stature, employment conditions, and economic status of the members. These professional activities are only now beginning to bear fruit for it has taken three years to organize the committee structure and provide the necessary financing to launch this new major effort of ASCE.

"Professionalism is now being taught in our engineering colleges much more effectively than it was years ago, the stifling effect of collective bargaining on professional behavior is being discussed and curtailed, and the opportunities for continuing education through society efforts have been immensely expanded. Professionally and technically, ASCE is now a far greater service to society and has just initiated more effective means for dealing with societal problems than we even dreamt possible a decade ago.

"This effort has required thousands of man hours which were cheerfully donated by ASCE's members. I fear the time has come, however, for all members of the society now to provide the additional treasure in the way of added dues to realize these objectives and to provide mankind with the professional leadership it so badly needs."

Hyman J. Fine, President, 1968-69. "During my term of office, I was fortunate in having an energetic Board of Directors with whose help I feel great progress was made in membership participation. The five branches of the Virginia Section met regularly, and: (a) discussed subjects of technical interest; (b) worked successfully toward the formation of the Bull Run Branch; (c) vigorously supported the successful candidacy of Dan Pletta for the office of National Director; (d) stressed and encouraged student participation through various competitions and awards; and, (e) partially defrayed the cost of meals for students at the annual meeting."

W. S. G. Britton, President, 1969-70. "During my term as president, my greatest concern was toward the recognition and encouragement of the Student Chapters. This is where we secure not only our future ASCE membership but the future Civil Engineers who will represent the profession and continue the heritage of Civil Engineering. This is a continuing major activity of the Virginia Section and I hope it will always continue. I gained a great deal of satisfaction from my visits to all of the Student Chapters."

What's Where in Civil Engineering in Virginia

In 1962, the 40th. anniversary year, the Board of Directors, in response to a request to all local ASCE sections throughout the western hemisphere, authorized a poll among the membership which sought to select the outstanding civil engineering achievements in the Old Dominion. The effort was known nationally by the title "What's Where in Civil Engineering." During the summer of 1962 more than 50 members of the Section, about one for each two Virginia counties, were asked to nominate the outstanding engineering accomplishments in their geographical areas. In a magnificent response, 135 nominations were proposed. In September, ballots listing the nominations were mailed to the entire membership and were received in gratifying numbers by mid October. The ballots were canvassed at the Fall meeting in Roanoke and the Board authorized the publication of a 40th. anniversary souvenir picture pamphlet which described in detail the following engineering accomplishments arranged alphabetically:

CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE-TUNNEL

DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

GEORGE P. COLEMAN MEMORIAL BRIDGE AT YORKTOWN

HAMPTON ROADS BRIDGE-TUNNEL

JOHN H. KERR DAM

NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING AND DRY DOCK COMPANY

THE PENTAGON

RICHMOND-PETERSBURG TURNPIKE

THE SKYLINE DRIVE

VIRGINIA INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM

Other engineering feats receiving many nominations but not described in the pamphlet were:

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

DAN RIVER MILLS

OLD JAMES RIVER AND KANAWHA CANAL

REYNOLDS METALS BUILDING IN RICHMOND

Since the foregoing selections were made, many other noteworthy engineering achievements have been realized among which these are considered outstanding:

THE RICHMOND COLISEUM

THE ROANOKE CITY AUDITORIUM COMPLEX

THE NORFOLK CONVENTION CENTER

THE HAMPTON ROADS CONVENTION CENTER

THE BIG WALKER MOUNTAIN TUNNEL (Interstate 77)

THE FAIRFAX WATER AUTHORITY FILTRATION PLANT

Outstanding Engineering Achievements

The Virginia Section was honored to have the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel receive the ASCE Award as the outstanding engineering achievement in 1965. Dulles International Airport was nominated for the same recognition and received the ASCE Award of Merit in 1964.

Life Members

Currently, a Life Member is one who has reached age 65 and who has been a dues paying member of ASCE for 30 consecutive years. Before 30 November of each year the ASCE headquarters staff prepares a list of those members of the Society who will qualify in this membership category at the end of the calendar year. Individual certificates of life membership are transmitted to the secretaries of the several sections and are presented, if practicable, at section affairs, often the annual meetings. If a presentation at a section meeting is not practicable, the certificates are preferably delivered personally by an officer or member of the section, otherwise the certificate is mailed.

A detailed review of all extant Virginia Section records was made, national headquarters was also queried, and as complete a list as possible of Life Members whose certificates have been presented through the Section has been prepared. The list, shown as Appendix E, is arranged alphabetically. It is regretted that a more complete list could not be uncovered.

Epilog

In his remarks at the annual meeting in Richmond, in 1966, President D. H. Pletta was both prophetic and optimistic in his remarks. "Despite the fact that the achievements of the Virginia Section are significant, we members would be remiss in our calling if we did not continue to search for solutions to the pressing technological problems which are only now beginning to plague mankind as the world population nears a critical size. We need only think of the solutions that must be found in transportation, automotive safety, pollution, and noise control abatement to appreciate the tremendous magnitude of our job. At the same time it offers a challenging opportunity to serve mankind. I can only hope that all of us will continue to exert our best efforts in seeking solutions to these problems."

So, it is surely correct to say the Virginia Section ASCE, at the end of its first half-century, continues to advance the professional status of civil engineering and to improve man's surroundings in general in a manner which the founders of ASCE envisioned some 120 years ago at the parent organizations' beginning. Growing in numbers and in engineering leadership throughout the Old Dominion as well as in service to its members, the Virginia Section enters its second half-century with optimism and confidence.