Garbis H. Keulegan: A Physicist's Long Life in Hydraulics

Abstract

This biography of Garbis H. Keulegan (1890‐1989), a leading figure in hydraulics and fluid mechanics for more than half a century, recounts his early years in Armenia; immigration to the United States; education; military service; employment and technical activities at Westinghouse, the National Bureau of Standards (NBS), and the Waterways Experiment Station; awards and recognition; and retirement at age 98 after becoming the oldest and longest‐serving (67 years) employee in federal service. His graduate study, work at Westinghouse, and early research at NBS were on solid mechanics. Following his assignment as one of the first staff members of the NBS National Hydraulic Laboratory, his progressive shift of interest to fluid mechanics became complete. At NHL he did his classical work on turbulent open‐channel flow, water waves and tides, flow in curved pipes, and salinity intrusion. During World War II he was seconded to the Beach Erosion Board to provide technical guidance for amphibious military landings. Following his mandatory retirement from NBS, he was engaged by WES to continue his work on waves and tides, density currents, and salinity intrusion, and produced his classical analysis of flow through tidal inlets.