Sinclair O. Harper papers, 1852-1966 (bulk 1908-1950)

Sinclair O. Harper (1883-1966) spent 37 years with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and more with Kaiser Engineers as a consultant in water resource development as a civil and irrigation engineer. After graduating from the University of California in 1907 with a bachelor of science in civil engineering, Harper worked on the Uncompahgre Project in Colorado as a junior engineer. In 1908 he was promoted to assistant engineer on the Grand Valley Project, and managed the project for eight years. In 1925 he became general superintendent of construction in the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Denver Office, then assistant chief engineer in 1930, and chief engineer in 1940. From 1935 to 1939 Harper also served as chairman and U.S. representative on the Rio Grande Compact Commission. In 1940 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Colorado. Harper retired to Oakland in 1945 to become a consultant at Kaiser Engineers, working on projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and abroad in India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Ghana, and Egypt, as well as other countries.