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Clyde D. Gessel papers, 1939-2002

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Gessel, Clyde D., 1918-2007
Title
Clyde D. Gessel papers
Dates
1939-2002 (inclusive)
Quantity
22 linear feet
Collection Number
ACCN 2437
Summary
The Clyde D. Gessel papers (1939-2002) contain correspondence, reports, scrapbooks and maps. While the majority of the collection deals with his work as a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), there is a large portion that concerns his work with the Department of Reclamation, where he played a role in many of the prominent water works of the west.
Repository
University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0860

Telephone: 8015818863
special@library.utah.edu
Access Restrictions

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

Clyde D. Gessel (1918-2007) was born in Providence, Utah on April 1, 1918. He attended Utah State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. Shortly following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Gessel joined the military and served for two and a half years in the Southwest Pacific salvaging and reconstructing enemy aircraft in order to defeat the Japanese military. Following the war, he married and raised 6 children, while working for the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation as a Civil Engineer. He was also a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), serving in many positions within the organization, including President of the Utah Section. He helped to build many prominent water projects in the west, including Glen Canyon Dam. Gessel travelled the world, visiting such places as Russia, Egypt, the Holy Land, and countries in Asia and South America. He was very involved in his community, and played golf well into his 88th year. He died on April 15, 2007.

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Content Description

The Clyde D. Gessel papers (1939-2002) contain correspondence, reports, scrapbooks and maps. The majority of the collection deals with his work as a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Among the documents concerning the ASCE are correspondence, minutes from meetings, pamphlets and notes from different conferences he attended, and documents that relate to committees that he served on. Another large portion of the collection concerns his work with the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, where he played a role in many of the prominent water works of the west. Many of these materials are scrapbooks that document various projects in the west, such as Colorado and Utah. Gessel was involved with the Glen Canyon Dam, as well as studies done at Lake Powell, and in the Colorado River Basin. Although Gessel served in World War II, the Military documents in the collection consist of memorandums and forms dated in the 1950s and 1960s. Part of the collection deals with the USSR.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Preferred Citation

Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The organizational structure used by the donor was maintained throughout the collection.

Separated Materials

Photographs were transferred to the Multimedia Divison of Special Collections (P1561).

Acquisition Information

Donated by Dave Gessel in 2009.

Processing Note

Processed by Kevin Grover and Grant Herron in 2009.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Water resources development--West (U.S.)

Corporate Names

  • American Society of Civil Engineers
  • United States. Bureau of Reclamation

Form or Genre Terms

  • Correspondence
  • Reports
  • Scrapbooks

Finding aid prepared by Grant Herron
2009 (last modified: 2020)

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