Peck the Teacher: A Commanding Presence

Peck the Teacher:
A Commanding Presence

Pursuing a BS in Civil Engineering from Illinois (1974) and looking for an interesting geotechnical course for spring semester, I found CE 484, Case Histories. Still a senior undergraduate, I needed department approval to take this class. Professor Ireland, who taught the course with Professor Peck, granted my approval and I soon became very "aware" of the reputation and stature of these two great instructors. I was awe-struck, not just by the opportunity and the subject matter, but also by the sudden realization that I was the only undergraduate in a class of about 20 Ph.D. and M.S. candidates!

I remember well one particular class session. We were nearing completion of our first case study, which had been presented by Dr. Ireland. As we were finishing discussion, Professor Peck walked in and stood ... patiently waiting to begin presentation of his case history. The "buzz" that had been almost palpable prior to Dr. Peck's arrival ceased abruptly when he entered the room. Literally, you could have heard a pin drop. With no one uttering another word, Ireland left and Peck began his case history as only he could. Little did I know then that this watershed moment, which would mark the end of Dr. Peck's classroom teaching, would be the beginning of my career as a geotechnical engineer.
Mike Lewis, P.E., F.ASCE

This letter is an excerpt from the Geo-Strata Feature on Professor Peck, Geo-Strata September/October 2008.

Elmo DiBiagio, Kaare Flaate, (2000). Publication Nr. 207: Ralph B. Peck “Engineer, Educator, A Man of Judgement”. Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Oslo

Ralph B. Peck developed a very close professional and personal relationship with NGI's (Norwegian Geotechnical Institute) first director, Laurits Bjerrum. Following Bjerrum's death in 1973, he kept in contact with NGI. Suzanne Lacasse, Managing Director of NGI from 1991 to 2011, also had a very close relationship with Peck. In connection with the opening, NGI published Publication 207, "Professor Ralph B. Peck - Engineer, Educator, a Man of Judgement", which recounts the story of the events that lead to the establishment of the Peck Library and Peck's professional and private life.

John Dunnicliff and Nancy Peck Young, (2007). "Ralph B. Peck, Educator and Engineer - The Essence of the Man". BiTech Publishers Ltd, Vancouver.

This review flows from the latter camp, a place where Dr. Peck is widely recognized for his ultimately practical engineering wisdom. He cannot help but be a genuine hero to geological practitioners who have learned from his writings and from occasional attendance at his lectures and oral papers. We geologists see him mainly in the light of his remarkable ability to detect and grasp the practical essentials and then, with the true calling of a great engineer, to pass his own proven lessons-learned on to us. Regrettably, however, this tribute is devoid of commentary by the many geologists who have crossed Ralph Peck's path over the years.

Professor Ralph Peck's

Legacy Website

Peck the Teacher: A Commanding Presence

Professor Ralph B. Peck