Frittered Away and Soon Forgotten

About the Book

A Jamaican English colonialist (Edmund George Ford), is found to have not descended from inquisition-related Jewish Spanish royalty. Nor is a Virginian (John Stuart Gladwell) related to a famous American Civil War Confederate general. Each grew to earn, on their own, the great respect of their colleagues and acquaintances, beyond anything they could have foreseen. Theirs became one story when the Virginian met and married the Englishman's daughter. To their children neither left anything that could have been called a fortune. What they did leave was a good name that could not be easily frittered away and soon forgotten.

This is the story of the son of the Virginian. It is a story that is quite different from that of his Ford cousins. It is one that involves considerable education, progressively responsible positions throughout the USA and finally an important position with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations in Paris.

With the advent of World War II, the Virginian volunteers for active duty with the US Navy. But his physical examination reveals that he is suffering from a serious illness. In 1943, after a major session in two Veterans' Hospitals he dies, leaving behind a devastated widow and an 11-year old son. We then follow the son in his new environment in the Canal Zone and with his second family with his Uncle and Aunt.

Although he was still young and relatively inexperienced, following two years in the U.S. Army in Korea and Japan, the respect of the son's friends was important. His Texas A&M time of studies proved to be the perfect one for him to grow. Following graduation he moves to Alaska to work for the US Forest Service. On the way north he visitsVancouver, Canada, and meets the woman to whom he soon becomes engaged and marries a year later. Before the wedding he is offered and accepts a fellowship to work for an MS in civil engineering at Texas A and M.

owing receipt of the graduate degree he is employed as a research hydraulic engineer at Washington State University. This lasts almost four years when he decides that he is interested in teaching. He is offered a position at the University of Maine. Soon after he returns to the West he begins studies toward a PhD at the University of Idaho. In 1970 he graduates, and accepts a position on a US Presidential water commission. A year on the Commission is followed by two more years in Washington, DC. He is then offered and accepts to be the Director of the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute.

When the political wheels begin to turn and UNESCO realizes that the US is interested in seeing its candidate placed Jack is given the nod. His position in UNESCO's International Hydrological Programme is given great responsibility when the Director is picked to be Acting Assistant Director General for Science, and Jack is asked to run the Division. This lasts for five years, without title.

Travel to fulfill IHP projects requires a great deal of time. Jack finds the trips very interesting, and before retiring he will have visited 62 countries.

About the Author

Dr. John Stuart Gladwell's first degree, a B.S. in Business Administration (Trinity University, USA, 1953), was followed by B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering (Texas A&M University, USA, 1959 and 1961) and finally a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering (University of Idaho, USA, 1970). He has served on the Civil Engineering faculties of Washington State University, the University of Maine and the University of Idaho. He also served several years in the Division of Industrial Research of Washington State University in hydraulic research. Dr. Gladwell is a Registered Professional Engineer (Civil Engineering.)

Before going with UNESCO in 1980, he had worked with the US Forest Service, the US National Water Commission, the US Office of Water Resources Research, as the Director of the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute, and as a consultant to the US Water Resources Council. Moving to Paris, France, Headquarters of UNESCO, he worked until 1992 in the Science Sector, International Hydrological Programme. He served as Acting Director for several years.

During his years with UNESCO Dr. Gladwell established a popularized publication series dealing with the problems of the humid tropics, and was instrumental in the development and production of a state-of-the-art book on the problems and situations of tropical regions: Hydrology and Water Management in the Humid Tropics. He also served as co-editor and contributor to a book on sustainable development: Sustainability Criteria for Water Resource Systems. He has also worked with the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) in the development of technical conferences.

In 1992 HYDRO TECH INTERNATIONAL was established. He was Honorary Consul General for the Republic of Panama for Western Canada. He served on the Board of Governors of CATHALAC (a regional humid tropics research center located in Panama). For several years he was a member of the Canadian Committee for the International Hydrological Programme.