Clyde N. Baker Jr. (May 6, 1930 – August 26, 2022) was an American

geotechnical engineer Geotechnical engineering is the branch of civil engineering concerned with the engineering behavior of earth materials. It uses the principles of soil mechanics and rock mechanics for the solution of its respective engineering problems. It al ...

who received awards for his work to design advanced foundations supporting tall structures. He was elected a member of the

National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of ...

in 2004. In 2008, he received the Award of Excellence from

Engineering News-Record ''Engineering News-Record'' (widely known as ''ENR'') is an American weekly magazine that provides news, analysis, data and opinion for the construction industry worldwide. It is widely regarded as one of the construction industry's most authorita ...

(formerly the Man of the Year award).

Personal life

Baker was born in

Flushing, New York Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial and retail area, and the i ...

on May 6, 1930 to general surgeon Clyde N. Baker Sr and Muriel Esty Baker. As a young man, he earned a

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

's license by the age of sixteen and also suffered from

rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly, the wrist and hands are invol ...

. He and his wife Jeanette have three children, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Baker met his wife Jeanette on a blind date in 1949 and they married in 1955. Baker became a Quaker in 1957 and his faith is seen as part of his even temperament as an engineer. Baker enjoys running and completed 40 marathons in his life, finishing his last at age 70. Baker died on August 26, 2022, at the age of 92.

Education

Baker graduated from

Flushing High School Flushing High School is a four-year public high school in Flushing, in the New York City borough of Queens. The school is operated by the New York City Department of Education. As of the 2020-21 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1, ...

and then earned a

B.S. A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University ...

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

from William & Mary. Baker describes himself as an accidental engineer. After earning the physics degree, he tried the field of electrical engineering by enrolling at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

(M.I.T.). His rheumatoid arthritis caused him to drop out for a semester, and he changed to

civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewa ...

when re-enrolling. He went on to receive a

and, in 1954, an

M.S. A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...

in civil engineering from M.I.T. Baker credits his success, in part, to university teachers that include Donald Taylor, T.W. Lambe, and Harl P. Aldrich at M.I.T. and

Karl von Terzaghi Karl von Terzaghi (October 2, 1883 – October 25, 1963) was an Austrian mechanical engineer, geotechnical engineer, and geologist known as the "father of soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering". Early life In 1883, he was born the first ch ...

and

Arthur Casagrande Arthur Casagrande (August 28, 1902 – September 6, 1981) was an American civil engineer born in Austria-Hungary who made important contributions to the fields of engineering geology and geotechnical engineering during its infancy. Renowned for h ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

Career

Upon graduation, Baker went to work for Soil Testing Service (later STS Consultantsand then

AECOM AECOM (, ; formerly AECOM Technology Corporation) is an American multinational infrastructure consulting firm. AECOM has approximately 51,000 employees, and is number 157 on the 2019 Fortune 500 list. The company's official name from 1990 t ...

). , Baker works for GEI Consultants, Inc. Baker played a significant role in increasing the foundation bearing capacity allowed by

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

building code A building code (also building control or building regulations) is a set of rules that specify the standards for constructed objects such as buildings and non-building structures. Buildings must conform to the code to obtain planning permiss ...

by more than five thousand percent since the 1950s. When Baker started his career, the allowable load, or bearing capacity, was six tons per square foot (tsf). For the

Chicago Spire The Chicago Spire was a skyscraper project in Chicago that was partially built between 2007 and 2008 before being cancelled. Located at 400 N. Lake Shore Drive, it would have stood high with 150 floors and been the tallest building in the Wes ...

, the bearing load was three hundred tsf. Discuss tall buildings he has worked on. Clyde Baker participated or served in professional societies including the

American Concrete Institute The American Concrete Institute (ACI, formerly National Association of Cement Users or NACU) is a non-profit technical society and standards developing organization. ACI was founded in January 1905 during a convention in Indianapolis. The Institu ...

, where he served as chairman, of ACI Committee 336 (Footings, Mats and Piers). He was a Member Emeritus of the Deep Foundations Committee of ASCE's Geo-Institute. His other professional affiliations include: *ADSC: The International Association of Foundation Drilling *Highway Research Board *American Society for Testing and Materials *Illinois Society of Professional Engineers *American Society of Civil Engineers, Honorary Member *M.I.T. Alumni Council *Chicago Committee on High Rise Buildings *National Society of Professional Engineers *Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat *Structural Engineers Association of Illinois *Deep Foundations Institute *

Awards

In 1996, Baker was elected to Honorary Membership in

American Society of Civil Engineers American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

(ASCE) for "his longstanding commitment and innovative accomplishments in advancing the state of the civil engineering practice and his commitment to advancing the careers of all who interact with him." Baker was elected into the

in 2004 for "advancements in the engineering and construction of deep foundations for safe support of the world's tallest buildings.". After being recognized as a top newsmaker of 2007, Baker received the ENR Award of Excellence "for firming up the science of soil to support the skyscrapers of tomorrow." As part of the award, Baker was the subject of an eight-page

cover story Cover story or Cover Story may refer to: * A magazine or newspaper article whose subject appears on that issue's front cover, and may be profiled in depth. * A fictitious explanation intended to hide one's real motive; see disinformation, cover-u ...

in the April 7, 2008 issue of ENR. The award was received at a black-tie gala held at the New York Marriott Marquis on April 3, 2008. OPAL Award Baker was awarded the Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) award in 2008 from the

for his lifetime accomplishments of innovation and excellence in civil engineering design. The award was presented at a black-tie gala in Arlington, Virginia on April 30, 2008. Other awards won by Baker included: *Terzaghi Lecture, 2009 *

Washington Award The Washington Award is an American engineering award. Since 1916 it has been given annually for "accomplishments which promote the happiness, comfort, and well-being of humanity". It is awarded jointly by the following engineering societies: Amer ...

, 2009 *Moles Award, 2006 *Chicago Building Congress Award of Honor, 2006 *ASCE Ralph B Peck Award, 2000 *ASCE, Honorary Member, 1996 *ASCE, Martin S. Kapp Award, 1995 *DFI, Distinguished Service Award, 1987

References

External links

Member page
National Academy of Engineering {{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Clyde N. Jr. 1930 births 2022 deaths Geotechnical engineers MIT School of Engineering alumni