Jacob H. Douma
There were never any alternatives?
I had no interest in mechanical or electrical or any other type of engineering,
civil
engineering.
And yet Morrough O'Brien, one of the outstanding hydraulic engineers in the whole
United States at that time, was then at the University of California, teaching mechanical
engineering.
Yes, that's right, but he taught hydraulics.
Did you take hydraulics from him?
Yes. I took his hydraulics laboratory course, and his basic hydraulics course in fluid
dynamics, which mainly covered theoretical hydraulics and very little hydraulic design.
So that's what he taught? He taught the theoretical aspects?
Yes, theoretical. That's right.
What was he like?
He was a very good man to work with. He did a lot of things. I still remember, after
working at the Waterways Experiment Station for a year and then before going back to
Denver to work for the Bureau of Reclamation, I went to visit my folks in Hanford. So
I thought I'd pay him a courtesy call and tell him how I liked the Waterways Experiment
Station, because he was the one who got me there. I went down the hall of the Civil
Engineering Building, and knocked on his office door. He said, "Come in," so I opened
the door and went in.
He recognized me, but I'm not sure he remembered my name. I said, "Hello. I thought
I'd just come and talk to you a little bit.," He said, "Well, you have to go to the other
room and come through my secretary's
and she'll set it up for you. So I went into
the secretary's room and told her I wanted to see Professor O'Brien. About two minutes
later, she said, "You may go see him."
We had a very good talk. He was interested in what hydraulic research the Corps of
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