George W. Housner

George W. Housner (December 9, 1910 (Saginaw, Michigan) - November 10, 2008 (Pasadena, California)) was an eminent authority on earthquake engineering and National Medal of Science laureate. Housner received his Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan where he was influenced by Stephen Timoshenko. He earned his Masters' (1934) and Doctoral (1941) degrees from the California Institute of Technology where he has been a Professor of Earthquake Engineering from 1945 to 1981, and Professor Emeritus thereafter.

Annually, in recognition of those who made extraordinary contributions to the earthquake safety research, practices and policies, EERI awards The George W. Housner Medal of the Earthquake Engineering Research.^[1]

Housner died of natural causes November 10, 2008 in Pasadena, California at the age of 97.^[2]

Partial list of achievements

• Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan
• Masters and Doctorate degree from Caltech
• Written numerous journal articles on earthquake engineering
• Chairman of engineering committee of Academy of Sciences
• Formed Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
• UNESCO representative to International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering in Tokyo
• AEC advisory panel on safety against ground shock
• AID consultant at University of Roorkee, India
• Chairman of Geologic Hazards Advisory Committee for California State Resources Agency
• Chairman of Panel on Seismic Design and Testing of Nuclear Facilities for International Atomic Energy Agency
• On Los Angeles County Earthquake Commission
• Member of Earthquake Engineering and Hazards Reduction Delegation to Peoples Republic of China
• President of Seismological Society
• Consultant to Japanese Atomic Energy Commission and Italian Nuclear Energy Commission and numerous nuclear energy projects in the U.S.
• Elected to National Academy of Sciences 1972
• Named Braun Professor of Engineering at Caltech 1974
• Chairman of NRC's Earthquake Society and International Association

References