Danny Lee Fread

Last updated
Danny Lee Fread
Born(1938-07-17)July 17, 1938
DiedMay 2, 2009(2009-05-02) (aged 70)
Known forHydraulics, Hydrology
SpouseHelen Hale Fread
AwardsDepartment of Commerce Gold Medal, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize and J.C. Stevens Award, the Federal Laboratory Consortium Award for Technology Transfer, the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) National Award of Merit, and the American Meteorological Society Award of Fellow.

Danny Lee Fread (July 17, 1939 - February 5, 2009) was an American hydraulic engineer and Senior Research Hydrologist, best known for his computer-based mathematical simulation programs for rainfall and runoff to forecast the flow of flooding rivers and dam failures. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Danny Fread was born on July 17, 1939, in Tuscola, IL, the son of Harold and Margaret E. Dyer Fread. Danny graduated from Lovington High School, in Lovington, Illinois. [2] He began his undergraduate studies at Carthage College, in Carthage, IL, where he studied liberal arts and excelled in track and field as well as basketball. Danny set a school record for his javelin throw in 1959 and was reputedly the "team's best pole vaulter." [3] and lettered in basketball, [4] where he was known for his "deadly jump shot." Fread then transferred to the University of Missouri-Rolla, in Rolla, Missouri and received his B.S. in civil engineering in 1961. He ranked first in his graduating class. [2]

Career

After completing his undergraduate degree, Danny Fread worked six years for Texaco, where he was promoted to Senior Engineer, specializing in the design of gravity and pressurized piping systems. He then returned to University of Missouri-Rolla to complete his Ph.D. in civil engineering in 1971. [5] His studies focused on hydraulics / hydrology / mathematics, and his research was centered on unsteady flow and numerical / experimental simulation of breached dams. After earning his degree, he became a research hydrologist with the National Weather Service, where he spent 29 years. Inspired by the tragedy of the failure of the Grand Teton Dam in 1976, he undertook research on the development of computer models to forecast the flow of flooding rivers and dam failures. His 1973 ASCE paper presented a conceptual model to alleviate flood damages due to overtopping failures of small earthfill dams. It discussed erosion patterns and the potential reduction in the reservoir release due base on a proposed erosion retarding layer. [6]

During the 70's and 80's he personally formulated, coded, and tested mathematical simulation programs, including:

dams in a single river or network of rivers. These models have been utilized for unsteady river flow modeling by Federal and State Agencies, as well as private agencies and consulting firms across the United States and Canada and over 20 countries worldwide. Dr. Fread taught numerous training workshops; authored 50 and co-authored 42 professional scientific papers; and contributed chapters to four books including the Handbook of Hydrology. [2] He was also a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society. His career culminated with the position as the Director of the Office of Hydrology with the National Weather Service.

Awards and recognition

Danny Fread received several national awards for his work, including:

Published works

Personal life

Fread had one daughter, Kristin with Helen Hale Fread in 1962. After his retirement, he and his wife moved to Pennsylvania to be near their daughter and family. He died on February 5, 2009, in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, at the age of 70, and was buried there. [2]

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References

  1. Hager, Willi H. (November 5, 2015). Hydraulicians in the USA 1800-2000: A biographical dictionary of leaders in hydraulic engineering and fluid mechanics. CRC Press. p. 2053. ISBN   9781138028289 . Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 DHB. "Memorial page for Danny Lee Freed". Find a Grave. Citing Riverview Cemetery. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  3. Crimson Rambler. Carthage, IL: Carthage College Yearbook. 1959. pp. 134–135. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  4. "Men's Basketball Letterwinners". Carthage College Athletics. Carthage College.
  5. Hager, Willi H. (2016). Hydraulicians in the USA 1800-2000 A biographical dictionary of leaders in hydraulic engineering and fluid mechanics. CRC Press. p. 2053. ISBN   9781138028289 . Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  6. Fread, D.L. (1972). "Dynamic flood routing in rivers with major tributaries". Spring National Meeting, American Geophysical Union: 1–29.