Posted by Randy Rapp on July 3, 2011:

It was a rare privilege to meet and learn so much from Professor Norbert Schmidt at graduate school in 1983. He headed the geotechnical faculty team of the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Missouri-Rolla. A demanding instructor who insisted that we appreciate the bigger engineering picture - not just the soil mechanics but geology, too - Norb inspired many to further study and practice geotechnical engineering. The knowledge and wisdom he imparted surely derived from his study of the subject as a graduate student of highly renown teacher-practitioners Arthur Casagrande and Karl Terzaghi, the "father of soil mechanics," at Harvard for his master's degree and Ralph Peck at the University of Illinois for his doctorate. Research was important to him, of course, but his exceptional teaching is that for which many of us have remained most grateful. His courses in Foundations and in Earth Dams and Problems were unsurpassed in what they imparted. His energy and respected reputation in engineering circles also resulted in a number of well-attended extension courses in pertinent topics offered by the university. Among the most popular was the one for ground improvement by grouting. Serving as his "go-fer" during one edition of the course enabled attendance at no cost. It was so very typical of Norb to take extra time in order to provide alternatives that helped his students. In spring 1987, the U.S. Army Engineer School invited his well-received lecture about Judgment in Engineering to its Officer Advanced Course students. Their travel to Ft. Belvoir enabled us to socialize with him and wife, Donna. It was good to maintain contact with him from time to time over the years. Often when some soils-related topic has arisen, memory of his skilled lectures and reference to notes from the courses he taught have served to motivate deeper thought and more careful consideration of good engineering practice. Thank you, Norb, for your friendship. Thanks also for your generosity and dedicated competence that has served us so very well.

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