SAYRE W.W.

SAYRE W.W. 31.08. 1927 Monroe County NY/USA 06.10. 1981 Lakewood CO/USA William Whitaker Sayre received in 1949 his BS degree from Princeton University, Princeton NJ, and completed his graduate studies, leading to the PhD degree at Colorado State University, Fort Collins CO, in 1957. He spent his early career as a civil engineer with the US Bureau of Reclamation USBR, joining the US Geological Survey USGS in 1962, staying there until being appointed in 1968 to professor at University of Iowa, Iowa City IA. He also served as director of its Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research IIHR until returning in 1980 to the USGS. He was the recipient of the 1966 Walter L. Huber Research Award, the 1967 Lorenz G. Straub Award, and the 1970 J.C. Stevens Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers ASCE. Sayre first joined as hydraulic engineer USGS studying mixing processes for dissolved and particulate matter in open channel flow. Once having joined IIHR he did notable research on mixing processes in meandering channels. Other research efforts included boundary roughness and its spacing effect on open channel flow, and radioactive tracer techniques to investigate sediment transport and dispersion in rivers. He is remembered for his warmth and humanity. He was active in organizations which promoted world peace through non-violent means. His interactions with others was characterized by kindness and consideration. He was a gentle and compassionate man whose belief in peace was so strong that all who had the good fortune to know him found their own lives to be tranquil and harmonious. He died of a heart attack at age of only 54. Anonymous (1970). William W. Sayre. Civil Engineering 40(10): 80-81. P Anonymous (1982). Prof. W.W. Sayre. Journal of Hydraulic Research 20(1): 85-87. P Jobson, H.E., Sayre, W.W. (1970). Predicting concentration profiles in open channels. Journal of the Hydraulics Division ASCE 96(HY10): 1983-1996; 97(HY5): 754-756; 97(HY12): 2087-2088. Sayre, W.W., Albertson, M.L. (1963). Roughness spacing in rigid open channels. Trans. ASCE 128(1): 343-372; 128(1): 411-427. Sayre, W.W., Chang, F.M. (1968). A laboratory investigation of open-channel dispersion processes for dissolved, suspended and floating dispersants. Professional Paper 433. US Geological Survey: Washington DC. Yotsukura, N., Sayre, W.W. (1976). Transverse mixing in natural channels. Water Resources Research 12(4): 695-704.