Holdings Engineering Civil and Environmental Eng... Chester P. Siess Papers Finding Aid Holdings Engineering Civil and Environmental Eng... Chester P. Siess Papers Finding Aid Title: Chester P. Siess Papers, 1933-2004
ID: 11/5/34
Primary Creator: Siess, Chester Paul (1916-2004)
Extent: 8.93 cubic feet
Arrangement: Content is arranged in four series: Series 1 contains biographical and personal materials; Series 2 contains files relating to Dr. Siess' correspondents; Series 3 contains materials concerning Dr. Siess' tenure at the University of Illinois as a professor of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics and Civil Engineering; and Series 4 contains Dr. Siess' articles, including drafts and notes relating to his articles, numbered job files, and information regarding his involvement in professional organizations, such as the American Concrete Institute (ACI). Folders in Series 1, 2, and 3 are arranged in alphabetical order. Folders in Series 4 are arranged chronologically in an attempt to preserve original order.
Date Acquired: 07/09/1967. More info below under Accruals.
Subjects: American Concrete Institute, Building Codes, Concrete Analysis, Faculty Papers
Formats/Genres: Papers
Languages: English, Spanish;Castilian
Papers of Chester Paul Siess (1916-2004), M.S. 1939, Ph.D. 1948, including the American Concrete Institute Committee 318 files on the ACI Building Code Requirements for reinforced concrete, meeting minutes, membership lists, and subjects such as materials and testing, shear and bond, flexure, and columns. Dr. Siess served as a committee member from 1953-1997. Additions include files concerning Dr. Siess' work with the Chicago Parks District on the Grant Park Garage, Erico Cadweld rebar splices, Midwest Prestressed Concrete, Laclede Steel Company, Proctor and Gamble, and other companies as well as his involvement with the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM), the American Concrete Institute (ACI), and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Materials concerning his tenure at the University of Illinois include class rosters, schedules, and notes. Correspondents file materials include letters, newspaper articles, greeting cards, business cards, and corporate publications. Correspondents include H. M. Newmark, Mehte Sozen, Joseph Colaco, and others. Personal materials include Dr. Siess' retirement scrapbook, photographs, and memorials. Also included in the collection are Dr. Siess' fieldbooks.
Chester Paul Siess (1916-2004) was born in Alexandria, Louisiana and received his bachelor's degree in 1936 from Louisana State University. Following graduation, he worked for the highway department's statewide highway planning survey and later, spent a year on the LSU campus in a soils laboratory. Following his employment with the highway department, he received an assistantship at the University of Illinois for two years to pursue a graduate degree. He completed his master's in 1939 in structural engineering. After graduation, he worked in Chicago for the Chicago Department of Subways and Supherhighways in the Soils Laboratory. In 1941, he worked in the Bridge Office of the New York Central. He was then offered a job at the University of Illinois, where he worked in the Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. During his time with TAM, he made progress towards a PhD, completing his doctorate in 1948 in structural engineering. In 1949, he began working in the Department of Civil Engineering and became a full professor of Civil Engineering in 1955. From 1973 to 1978, he served as department head. He retired in 1978 and was appointed professor emeritus.
Dr. Siess was active in several professional organizations, including the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He was awarded honorary membership in ACI in 1969 and served as president from 1974-1975. He served on Committee 318 from 1953-1997. The committee was responsible for creating the Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete. He presented papers throughout his career at conferences not only in the United States, but also in Mexico, Sweden, Canada, and Peru.
Repository: University of Illinois Archives
Accruals: Additions acquired on 06/20/2014.
Access Restrictions: Materials in box 1 are restricted. Please contact the University Archivist for more information.
Other Note: 0 Pages