VAN LEER

VAN LEER 16.08. 1893 Magnum OK/USA 23.01. 1956 Atlanta GA/USA Blake Ragsdale van Leer graduated as an electrical engineer from Purdue University, West Lafayette, in 1915, as a mechanical engineer from University of California, Berkeley CA in 1920, and made further studies at Universities of Caen, France, and Munich, Germany. He taught hydraulics at Berkeley CA from 1915 to 1928, was then hydraulic engineer with a pump company and in parallel Lecturer in hydraulics at George Washington University, Washington DC, until 1932, when becoming dean of engineering at North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC, from 1937. In 1944 he became president of the Georgia School of Technology, Atlanta GA. Under his leadership Georgia Tech expanded not only in activities and services, but also in size and prestige. In addition to engineering and research administrative duties, he always had found time to serve as a consultant on government, local, civic, and professional engineering projects. van Leer invented the California pipe method of water measurement, corresponding to depth measurement at the end of a short pipe portion discharging freely into the air. If the approach flow is subcritical, then the so-called end depth depends only on the pipe diameter and the discharge. This method has a number of limitations but is still used today at locations where a standard discharge measurement is not easily accessible. van Leer was awarded a Freeman Travelling Scholarship leading him to Germany in 1928, where he improved his knowledge in hydraulics. His 1929 article reviews the then taken actions in the main European hydraulics laboratories. He was also one who demanded a National Hydraulic Laboratory, which was then erected in the 1930s. Anonymous (1941). van Leer, Blake R. Who’s who in engineering 5: 1829. Lewis: New York. Anonymous (1951). Blake Ragsdale van Leer. Mechanical Engineering 73(5): 447. Anonymous (1956). B.R. van Leer dies. Engineering News-Record 156(Feb.2): 24. Anonymous (1956). Blake R. van Leer. Power Engineering 60(1): 108-110. P van Leer, B.R. (1922). The California pipe method of water measurement. Engineering News-Record 89(5): 190-192; 93(8): 293. van Leer, B.R. (1929). Need of a National Hydraulic Research Laboratory. Engineering News-Record 102(2): 68-71. van Leer, B.R. (1929). European hydraulics. Mechanical Engineering 51(3): 197-201. P Moody, L.F., van Leer, B.R. (1930). Fifty years’ progress in hydraulics. Mechanical Engineering 52(4): 366-367. P

VAN NORMAN 05.10. 1878 Victoria TX/USA 16.01. 1954 Los Angeles CA/USA Harvey Arthur van Norman moved with his family in 1883 to California, settling in 1887 at Los Angeles CA, where he stayed all through his life. He secured a technical education through home study. He was first steam engineer at a pumping station near Yuma AZ, and from 1899 to 1906 in this position for the Los Angeles Railroad Company, and superintendent of construction for the Los Angeles Gas and Electric Corporation. He entered the LA Water Department in 1907, placed in the charge of constructing hydroelectric stations at Owens Valley CA, whose power was used on the construction of the 400 km long Los Angeles Aqueduct project. His association with this project ultimately brought van Norman wide recognition of his ability as builder. In 1909 he was in charge of the Owens Valley and Lone Pine aqueduct sections, and in 1912 he was placed in charge of the Mojave Division, where he was responsible for the difficult task of building several siphons. The Jawbone Siphon was one of the most imposing elements of the Aqueduct, and was considered at completion the most outstanding pipe construction in the USA. When the Aqueduct was in 1913 put into operation, van Norman supervised its operation and maintenance until 1923, when given a leave of absence to design and construct the Los Angeles outfall sewer. He was in 1925 recalled by the Board of Water and Power Commissioners as assistant chief engineer of the water system, and in 1929 appointed chief engineer and general manager, the Bureau of Water Works and Supply. He assisted in surveys and planning the route of the Colorado River Aqueduct, ultimately built by the Metropolitan Water District, Southern California. He accomplished the construction of Bouquet Reservoir in 1934, and the Mono Basin extension in 1941. When in 1943 the separate Water and Power Bureaus of Los Angeles merged, van Norman was appointed general manager and chief engineer of the entire Department. From 1944 he was until his death there advisory engineer. He was a member and president of the California Section of the American Water Works Association AWWA, serving as national director from 1939 to 1941, and ASCE member from 1922, becoming life member in 1949. Anonymous (1954). Harvey A. van Norman. Trans. ASCE 119: 1367-1368; 120: xv. Davis, M.L. (1993). Rivers in the desert. Harper Collins: New York. van Norman, H.A. (1925). Open sea construction of a concrete pipe sewer outfall. ENR 95(8): 292. https://eng.lacity.org/aboutus/city_engineers_hist/VanNorman.htm P https://www.scvhistory.com/scvhistory/lw2055.htm P