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George Washington Goethals

 
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George Washington Goethals [go-thülz] (June 29, 1858 - January 21, 1928) was a United States Army
United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
 officer
Officer (armed forces)

An officer is a member of an Armed forces who holds a position of authority.Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereignty power and, as such, hold a Letters patent charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position....
 and civil engineer
Civil engineer

A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering, one of the many engineering professions. Originally a civil engineer worked on public works projects and was contrasted with the military engineer, who worked on armaments and defenses....
, best known for his supervision of construction and the opening of the Panama Canal
Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is a man-made canal which joins the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean oceans. One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, it had an enormous impact on shipping between the two oceans, replacing the long and treacherous route via the Drake Passage and Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South Am...
. The Goethals Bridge
Goethals Bridge

The Goethals Bridge connects Elizabeth, New Jersey to Staten Island, New York, near the Howland Hook Marine Terminal, Staten Island, New York over the Arthur Kill....
 between Staten Island
Staten Island

Staten Island is a borough of New York City, situated almost entirely on the island of the same name in the extreme southwest part of the city....
, New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
 and Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth, New Jersey

Elizabeth is a City in Union County, New Jersey, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the United States Census, 2000, the city had a total population of 120,568, making it New Jersey's List of municipalities in New Jersey ....
 is named in his honor, as is the Goethals Medal
Goethals Medal

The Goethals Medal is a national award given annually by the Society of American Military Engineers to a Professional Engineer whom is also a member of SAME prior to nomination....
.

hals was born in Brooklyn, New York to Flemish
Flemish people

The terms the Flemish people , and the Flemings or the Flemish denote the more than six million people of Flanders, the northern half of the country Belgium — and, as well, the majority of all Belgium; the terms Fleming and Flemings denote respectively a person and the people of that community....
 (Stekene
Stekene

Stekene is a municipality located in the Belgium province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Kemzeke, Klein-Sinaai and Stekene proper....
-Flanders
Flanders

Flanders is a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Over the course of history, the geographical territory that was called "Flanders" has varied....
-Belgium
Belgium

* A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
) immigrants Johannes Baptista (John Louis) Goethals, a carpenter
Carpenter

A carpenter is a skilled artisan who performs carpentry - a wide range of woodworking that includes constructing building construction, furniture, and other objects out of wood....
, and wife Marie Le Barron.






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George Washington Goethals [go-thülz] (June 29, 1858 - January 21, 1928) was a United States Army
United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
 officer
Officer (armed forces)

An officer is a member of an Armed forces who holds a position of authority.Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereignty power and, as such, hold a Letters patent charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position....
 and civil engineer
Civil engineer

A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering, one of the many engineering professions. Originally a civil engineer worked on public works projects and was contrasted with the military engineer, who worked on armaments and defenses....
, best known for his supervision of construction and the opening of the Panama Canal
Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is a man-made canal which joins the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean oceans. One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, it had an enormous impact on shipping between the two oceans, replacing the long and treacherous route via the Drake Passage and Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South Am...
. The Goethals Bridge
Goethals Bridge

The Goethals Bridge connects Elizabeth, New Jersey to Staten Island, New York, near the Howland Hook Marine Terminal, Staten Island, New York over the Arthur Kill....
 between Staten Island
Staten Island

Staten Island is a borough of New York City, situated almost entirely on the island of the same name in the extreme southwest part of the city....
, New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
 and Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth, New Jersey

Elizabeth is a City in Union County, New Jersey, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the United States Census, 2000, the city had a total population of 120,568, making it New Jersey's List of municipalities in New Jersey ....
 is named in his honor, as is the Goethals Medal
Goethals Medal

The Goethals Medal is a national award given annually by the Society of American Military Engineers to a Professional Engineer whom is also a member of SAME prior to nomination....
.

Biography

Goethals was born in Brooklyn, New York to Flemish
Flemish people

The terms the Flemish people , and the Flemings or the Flemish denote the more than six million people of Flanders, the northern half of the country Belgium — and, as well, the majority of all Belgium; the terms Fleming and Flemings denote respectively a person and the people of that community....
 (Stekene
Stekene

Stekene is a municipality located in the Belgium province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Kemzeke, Klein-Sinaai and Stekene proper....
-Flanders
Flanders

Flanders is a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Over the course of history, the geographical territory that was called "Flanders" has varied....
-Belgium
Belgium

* A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
) immigrants Johannes Baptista (John Louis) Goethals, a carpenter
Carpenter

A carpenter is a skilled artisan who performs carpentry - a wide range of woodworking that includes constructing building construction, furniture, and other objects out of wood....
, and wife Marie Le Barron. Aged 14, he entered the College of the City of New York
City College of New York

The City College of The City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York, in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning....
. In April 1876, after three years of college, he won a cadetship to the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy

The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational United States Service academies located at West Point, New York, New York....
 at West Point
West Point, New York

West Point is a federal military reservation located North of the Highland Falls, New York in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census....
. There, he was a member of the Delta Upsilon
Delta Upsilon

Delta Upsilon is the 6th oldest international, all-male, college, Greek alphabet social fraternities and sororities and is the first non-secret fraternity ever founded....
 fraternity. He graduated second in his class in 1880, a distinction that led that year to a commission as second lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers

The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 34,600 civilian and 650 military personnel, making it the world's largest public services engineering, design and construction management agency....
.

Goethals remained at the military academy during the summer and fall of 1880 as an assistant instructor in practical astronomy. In 1881 he attended the Engineer School of Application at Willets Point, New York. His first field assignment came in the following year with his appointment as engineer officer of the Department of Columbia in Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington

Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Clark County, Washington. According to the Washington State Office of Financial Management's April 1, 2008 estimate, the city has a population of 162,400, making it the fourth largest city in the state....
. His routine duties included reconnaissance, surveys, and astronomical work, while his most consequential project was the replacement of a 120-foot bridge across the Spokane River
Spokane River

The Spokane River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northern Idaho and eastern Washington in the United States. It drains a low mountainous area east of the Columbia, passing through the city of Spokane, Washington, which shares its name with the river....
.

In September 1884 he transferred to Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County, Ohio. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border....
, as an assistant to Lieutenant Colonel William E. Merrill, who was in charge of the navigational improvements of the Ohio River
Ohio River

The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. It is approximately 981 miles long and is located in the eastern United States....
. Goethals worked his way up from rodman on the hydrographic surveys to foreman of concrete work and, finally, to chief of construction. Also in 1884 he married Effie Rodman; they had two children. From 1885 to 1889 he taught civil and military engineering at West Point. He returned to the field in 1889 to assist Colonel John W. Barlow with navigational improvements on the Cumberland
Cumberland River

The Cumberland River is an important waterway in the Southern United States. It is 688 miles long. It starts in Letcher County, Kentucky in eastern Kentucky on the Cumberland Plateau, flows through southeastern Kentucky and crosses into northern Tennessee, and then curves back up into western Kentucky before draining into the Ohio River a...
 and Tennessee
Tennessee River

The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the Southern United States in the Tennessee Valley....
 rivers.

In 1891 Goethals was promoted to captain and placed in charge of the completion of the Muscle Shoals Canal along the Tennessee River near Chattanooga. This was his first independent command, and his responsibilities included the design and construction of the Riverton Lock at Colbert Shoals. Goethals's recommendation of a single lock with an unprecedented lift of twenty-six feet was initially opposed by his superiors in Washington, and he was forced to persuade the conservative army engineers of the merits of his design. The success of the Riverton Lock inspired the eventual adoption of high-lift locks elsewhere, including those for the Panama Canal.

During the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War

The Spanish?American War was an armed military conflict between Spain and the United States that took place between April and August 1898, over the issues of the liberation of Cuba....
 he was lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel

Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the army and most Marine and air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel....
 and chief of engineers
Chief of Engineers

The Chief of Engineers commands the US Army Corps of Engineers. As a staff officer at The Pentagon, the Chief advises the US Army on engineering matters and serves as the Army's topographer and the proponent for real estate and other related engineering programs....
 of United States Volunteers. In 1907 US President
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
 Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt , also known as T.R., and to the public as Teddy, was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States....
 appointed George Washington Goethals chief engineer of the Panama Canal
Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is a man-made canal which joins the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean oceans. One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, it had an enormous impact on shipping between the two oceans, replacing the long and treacherous route via the Drake Passage and Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South Am...
. The building of the Canal was completed in 1914, one year ahead of the target date of June 1, 1916.

Colonel Goethals received unstinted praise from visiting engineers and from the technical press of the entire civilized world. In 1913 the degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania is a private research university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is America's first university and is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States....
, and in the spring of 1914 he was awarded medals by the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society

The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world....
, the Civic Forum (New York), and the National Institute of Social Sciences. President Wilson
Woodrow Wilson

Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States. A devout Presbyterianism and leading intellectual of the Progressive Era, he served as President of Princeton University of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913....
 appointed him the first Civil Governor of the Panama Canal Zone
List of Governors of Panama Canal Zone

The following were Governors of the Panama Canal Zone while it was under United States control:...
.

He resigned from the post of Governor of the Canal Zone in 1916 and was made chairman of the board of inquiry in regard to the Adamson eight-hour law
Adamson Act

The Adamson Act was a United States federal law passed in 1916 that established an Eight hour day workday, with additional pay for overtime work, for interstate railroad workers....
. His positions thereafter were: State engineer of New Jersey
New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, on the east by the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean, on the southwest by Delaware, and on the west by Pennsylvania....
 in 1917, manager of the Emergency Fleet Corporation
United States Shipping Board Merchant Fleet Corporation

The United States Shipping Board Merchant Fleet Corporation was a federal corporation that operated from 1917 until 1936 when its functions were assumed by the newly created Maritime Commission....
 (briefly), acting quartermaster of the United States Army, and a member of the War Industries Board
War Industries Board

The War Industries Board was a United States government agency established on July 28, 1917, during World War I, to coordinate the purchase of war supplies....
 (1918). In 1919, he requested his release from his active service. Later on, he headed an engineering and construction firm. He became the first consulting engineer of the Port of New York Authority (now the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state port district, established in 1921 through an interstate compact, that runs most of the regional transportation infrastructure, including the bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports, within the New York–New Jersey Port District....
), and the Goethals Bridge
Goethals Bridge

The Goethals Bridge connects Elizabeth, New Jersey to Staten Island, New York, near the Howland Hook Marine Terminal, Staten Island, New York over the Arthur Kill....
, one of the authority's bridges between New York and New Jersey, was named for him. He died in New York City.

He is the great-great-grandfather of actress Angela Goethals
Angela Goethals

Angela Bethany Goethals is an United States actress. She is known for her recurring guest appearance on 24 and her roles in the TV sitcom Phenom and the movie Home Alone....
.

He also has a street named for him in the city of Richland, Washington.

Trivia

In the play and film Arsenic and Old Lace
Arsenic and Old Lace (play)

Arsenic and Old Lace is a play by United States of America playwright Joseph Kesselring, written in 1939. It has become best known through the Arsenic and Old Lace starring Cary Grant and directed by Frank Capra....
, the character Teddy Brewster mistakes Dr. Einstein for Goethals, inviting him to inspect a new canal.

See also

  • Panama Canal
    Panama Canal

    The Panama Canal is a man-made canal which joins the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean oceans. One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, it had an enormous impact on shipping between the two oceans, replacing the long and treacherous route via the Drake Passage and Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South Am...