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EUGENE B. WAGGONER
1 913-1 991
BY WILLIAM W. MOORE
EUGENE B WAGGONER an internationally recognized engineer-
ing geologist and former chief executive officer of Woodward-
Clyde Consultants, died in Napa, California, on November 30,
1991.
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1913, Gene Waggoner
received his B.A. and M.A. in geology from the University of
California, Los Angeles, in 1937 and 1939, respectively. He
began his professional career as a petroleum geologist during
the heightened need for oil in World War II. After the war he
worked for nearly a decade in government service for the U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation, where he was a staff geologist in the
Office of Chief Engineer and Assistant Commissioners, with
technical control of engineering geology in western Reclama-
tion Regions II and III. His responsibilities in this work included
coordination of geologic work on the boundary between the
United States and Mexico and of the Snowy Mountain Diversion
Project for the government of Australia. He supervised all
phases of engineering geology in this work, from site selection
and investigation through design, specification, and construc-
tion of all types of irrigation and hydroelectric projects.
In 1954 he founded in Denver a private consulting practice to
provide services to major engineering firms, contractors, other
private firms, and foreign governments. His work included field
reconnaissance and appraisal of groundwater potential, recom-
233
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MEMORIAL TRIBUTES
mendations on methods of development, design of wells, prepa-
ration of specifications, supervision of construction, and comple-
tion and testing of wells.
In June 1960 he merged his firm with Woodward-Clyde and
Associates, and he became executive vice-president and
comanager, providing engineering and geologic consultation
on major engineering projects throughout the United States
and foreign countries. Seven years later Waggoner was ap-
pointed president and chief executive officer of Woodward-
Clycle. In 1973 Waggoner retired to a private consulting practice
. . .
in engineering geo ogy.
During his career Waggoner served as a consulting engineer-
ing geologist for major hydroelectric, irrigation, and tunneling
projects throughout the world, working in some fifty countries,
and his credentials and accomplishments in his field are second
to none in both quality and quantity. The important theme that
served as the foundation of all of his work is the amalgamation
of theory and practice toward the successful completion of
major works for society. His advice was actively sought by owners,
designers, and contractors. What established his reputation was
his outstanding ability to understand a regional geology, inter-
pret the exploratory work in that context, arrive at remarkable
definitive conclusions, and then to explain them. His work
ultimately brought meaning and demonstrated the value of
practical, understandable consulting geologic service to grouncI-
water development and control in the United States and foreign
countries. Because he was an advocate of a multidisciplinary
approach to distribution, conservation, power generation, and
pollution control of water, he was called upon to lead assign-
ments on projects such as the West Pakistan Salinity Control and
Reclamation Project, the Bhumipol Dam and Power plant in
ThailancI, and similar major projects worldwide. He was also
highly regarded for his expert testimony and skill in translating
complex geologic conditions into everyday language.
Perhaps Mr. Waggoner's greatest contributions came as a
result of his service to the engineering profession, applying his
technical knowledge en cl management skills for the benefit of
professional practice. He contributed his time generously to a
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EUGENE B. WAGGONER
235
number of organizations, including the American Consulting
Engineers Council (ACEC), where he served as national presi-
dent in 1966-1967. AtACEC he contributed important improve-
ments to engineering practice such as developing peer review
programs for engineering practice that came to be widely used
by ACEC. He actively supported the national Association of Soil
and Foundation Engineers (ASFE), in particular in his support
of the ASFE Peer Review Program. He was requested to peer
review more than a dozen ASFE anti ACEC firms, another
measure of the respect with which he was held within the
profession. He also gave unstintingly of his time to various other
professional organizations, including the Association of Arneri-
can Geologists, International Society of Rock Mechanics, Inter-
national Commission on Large Dams, and the American Society
of Civil Engineers.
Mr. Waggoner contributed substantially to the work of the
National Research Council (NRC), primarily through the U.S.
National Committee on Tunneling Technology. He participated
in the writing of several NRC documents, including Better Man-
agement of Major Underground Construction Projects and Better Con-
tractingPractices. One of Waggoner's major contributions to the
NRC was his chairmanship of the Subcommittee on Site Investi-
gation for underground structures of the U.S. National Commit-
tee on Tunneling Technology. As chairman he led the efforts of
fifteen of the country's top professionals in the tunneling indus-
try toward the publication in 1984 of the two-volume report
Geotechnical Site Investigations for Underground Projects.
An honorary member of the Association of Engineering
Geologists, Waggoner was also a member of Sigma Xi, honorary
science fraternity; and Phi Delta Kappa, honorary education
fraternity.
Mr. Waggoner was an elected member of the Board of Educa-
tion in LakewoocI, Coloraclo; a member of the Intercountry
Regional Planning Commission in Colorado, and served as a
president of his Kiwanis Club. He also was a member of the
Vallejo Gem and Mineral Society, Vallejo Yacht Club, Vallejo
Symphony, Vallejo ConcertAssociation and Historical Museum,
and the Navy League. He was a 32nc3 degree Mason.
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MEMORIAL TRIBUTES
Mr. Waggoner is survived by his wife of fifty-three years, Wini,
of Vallejo, California; two daughters, Diana Davies of Dixon,
California, and Teri Nebeker of Sacramento, California; a son,
Alan, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and six grandchildren.
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Representative terms from entire chapter:
projects throughout
