Donald E. Hudson

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Donald E. Hudson
Born(1916-02-25)February 25, 1916
Alma, Michigan, U.S.
DiedApril 24, 1999(1999-04-24) (aged 83)
Pasadena, California
Education California Institute of Technology
SpousePhyllis Henderson Hudson
Engineering career
Discipline earthquake engineering
Employer(s)California Institute of Technology
Awards National Academy of Engineering, Fellow American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Fellow American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow American Society of Civil Engineers, Fellow American Geophysical Union, Honorary Member Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, ASCE’s Nathan M. Newmark Medal (1989), George W. Housner Medal by EERI (1992)

Donald Ellis Hudson (February 25, 1916-April 24, 1999) was an American earthquake engineer and academic. He was a professor at the California Institute of Technology in the Division of Engineering and Applied Science (1943-1981), where he performed pioneering research in ground motion measurement and analysis, and response of structures to earthquake excitation. Hudson developed or co-developed a number of instruments used in the study and analysis of seismic motions. With Thomas K. Caughey he developed the Mark II response spectrum analyzer in the late 1950s, and then worked with Lehner & Griffith Company (which was acquired by United Electro Dynamics Inc.) to develop the AR-240 accelerograph, the first “off-the-shelf” commercially available accelerograph. He was a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and served as president of the International Association for Earthquake Engineering (IAEE).

Contents

Early life

Donald E. Hudson was born in Alma, Michigan and grew up in Pasadena, California. He graduated from Pasadena High School and began his college education at Pasadena City College. In 1936, he transferred to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where earned his BS (1938), MS (1939), and PhD (1942, Mechanical Engineering) under the supervision of Dr. Frederick C. Lindvall. [1]

While still a student, he performed geophysical exploration for General Petroleum Corporation. [2] : 2  For six months in 1942, he worked as an engineer in aircraft vibration for Douglas Aircraft. He then returned to Caltech and worked under the direction of Dr. Lindvall on projects related to rocketry and underwater ordnance development through the U.S. Navy's Office of Research and Inventions. [3] [2] : 3 

Career

In 1943, he became an assistant professor at Caltech, an associate professor in 1949, and a professor in 1955.

George W. Housner and Hudson wrote two important textbooks that became the basis of the applied mechanics curriculum at Caltech. [4] [5] Hudson and Housner’s interest in earthquake engineering led to the development of a three-course earthquake engineering sequence: experimental techniques of earthquake engineering, geophysical background of earthquake engineering, and structural issues, codes and regulations. [2] : 28 

Hudson’s research was in the areas of mechanics, dynamics and instrumentation. Hudson and Thomas K. Caughey developed the C. I. T. Mark II Response Spectrum Analyzer in the late 1950s. [6] He and Housner worked with Robert E. Griffith of Lehner & Griffith Company (which was acquired by United Electro Dynamics Inc.), and with the support ofRobert Swain developed the AR-240 accelerograph, which in 1963 was the first “off-the-shelf” commercially available accelerograph. [7] Hudson and Romeo R. Martel developed vibration generators for full-scale testing of structures. [8]

He retired from Caltech with Emeritus status in 1981. He served as the chair of the Department of Civil Engineering at University of Southern California (1981-1984) and then returned to Caltech as Professor Emeritus.

Professional Activities

He served as president of the IAEE (1980-1984), [9] president of the Seismological Society of America (1971-1972), [10] and on the Board of Directors of EERI (1966-1968).

Hudson spent six months in India (1958-19590, at the University of Roorkee (now the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee), sponsored by the Technical Cooperation Mission of the U.S. State Department (subsequently the Agency for International Development), where he oversaw the development of a dynamics measurement laboratory and taught courses in dynamic measurements and structural mechanics. In collaboration with Professor Jai Krishna, Hudson started the earthquake engineering program which has become the School for Research and Training in Earthquake Engineering (SRTEE) at IIT, Roorkee. [2] : 23  [Note 1]

Awards

Hudson was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering in 1973 and the Indian National Academy of Engineering in 1987. He was a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Geophysical Union, and an Honorary member of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI). He was awarded Nathan M. Newmark Medal (1989) by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), [11] and the George W. Housner Medal by EERI (1992). [12]

Notes

  1. ↑ Details on this cooperative program between Caltech and IIT, Roorkee is provided in Jain, Sudhir (2008). "Historical Developments in India Towards Seismic Safety and Lessons for Future" (PDF). Proc. 14th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering. Beijing, China. Retrieved 3 August 2025.

References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ "Donald E. Hudson". Memorial Tributes. Vol. 16. Washington DC: National Academies Press. 2012. pp. 118–123. doi:10.17226/13338 . Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Donald E. Hudson, Interviews by Stanley Scott: An EERI Oral History Series. Oakland, CA: Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. 2025.
  3. ↑ "Donald Hudson dies". Caltech News. California Institute of Technology. 29 April 1999. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  4. ↑ Applied Mechanics: Statics. New Jersey.: D. Van Nostrand Company. 1949.
  5. ↑ Applied Mechanics: Dynamics. New Jersey: D. Van Nostrand Company. 1950.
  6. ↑ Caughey, T. K.; Hudson, D. E.; Powell, R. V. (1960). "The C. I. T. Mark II Response Spectrum Analyzer for Earthquake Engineering Studies" (PDF). Proceedings of the Second World Conference on Earthquake Engineering: 1137–1148. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  7. ↑ Hudson, Donald E. (1983). "History of Accelerograph Development" (PDF). Proceedings of the Golden Anniversary Workshop on Strong Motion Seismometry. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Southern California: 29–56. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  8. ↑ Synchronized Vibration Generators for Dynamic Tests of Full-Scale Structures. Pasadena, CA: Earthquake Engineering Research Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. 1962.
  9. ↑ "IAEE: Past Presidents". IAEE International Association for Earthquake Engineering. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  10. ↑ "Presidents of the Society". Seismological Society of America. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  11. ↑ "Nathan M. Newmark Medal Past Award Winners". American Society of Civil Engineers. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  12. ↑ "EERI Award Recipients: George W. Housner Medal". Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
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