Vernon
Interview with
Vernon K.
Early Years
Q ..
As I explained, I'm going to start a series of questions starting from your childhood and
try to take you through your whole career. That is just my approach. Do not just stop an
answer, just continue and say whatever you want to say, whatever thoughts you might
have.
Can you tell me a little about your family background and your childhood?
A ..
Well, I was born in Roseau, Minnesota in a small northern community in Minnesota and
my family--[there were] three children in the family--myself and brother and a sister.
About the time I was four years old we moved to North Dakota to a small town named
Cando, North Dakota. Then, after graduating from high school, my family moved to
Bozeman, Montana where I attended one quarter of college before I was drafted in the
Army. I spent just slightly less than two years in the Army and after that went to school
at Montana State University. I graduated there in 195 1.
Q ..
Okay. Let me take you back to your high school for a minute. Were there any teachers
that you had that particularly influenced your decision to go into engineering?
A
Well, in those days we didn't really get much information on what engineering was all
about, really, in high school. In the high school I went to you got mathematics, and I was
interested in math and science more than I was some of the other courses like English and
biology, for example. But I really didn't have a good comprehension of what the various
types of engineering were and what each one of them did. I knew that you built bridges
and all that kind of stuff and houses and large buildings and that sort of thing in civil
engineering, but that is about all I knew about it.
I knew there was such a thing as chemical engineering and mechanical engineering and
electrical engineering, but I really didn't have a good fix on which--I thought I would like
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