Frank E. McClure
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Frank E. McClure | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 3, 1924 San Francisco, California |
| Died | July 16, 2004 (aged 80) Orinda, California |
| Education | University of California, Berkeley |
| Spouse | Augusta Anne Clemens Tolles (1923–2007) |
| Parent(s) | Denny Hanks and Irma V. McClure |
| Engineering career | |
| Discipline | structural engineering, earthquake engineering |
| Practice name | Frank E. McClure Consulting Engineer (1955–1962); Frank E. McClure and David L. Messenger, Consulting Structural Engineers (1962–1975) |
| Employer(s) | University of California (1976–1978); Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (1978–1991) |
| Awards | EERI Honorary member; SEAONC Honorary member; U. S. Department of Energy Distinguished Associate Award |
Frank E. McClure (1924–2004, California Structural Engineer License [SE] 649) was an American consulting structural engineer in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, noted for his contributions to earthquake engineering. He was the University Engineer for the University of California (1976–1978) and the Senior Structural Engineer for the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (1978–1991). Beginning with the 1952 Kern County earthquake he traveled to the sites of recent earthquakes investigating earthquake-damaged buildings to understand the behavior of structures under seismic loads. Two of his most influential works were Studies in Seismicity and Earthquake Damage Statistics (1969, with Karl Steinbrugge) [1] and a 1973 study Performance of Single Family Dwellings in the San Fernando Earthquake of February 9, 1971.[2] He served as president of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI).[3]
McClure earned his B.S. Civil Engineering, with a focus in structural engineering in 1944, from University of California, Berkeley. While at UC Berkeley he joined the V-12 Navy College Training Program. Upon graduation he was sent to the Civil Engineer Corps Officers School (CECOS) in Davisville, Rhode Island and became a commissioned Navy officer (Lt. j.g.). He served in World War II with the 101st Naval Construction Battalion, Civil Engineer Corps (Seabees) in Okinawa, Japan (1944–1946). His Seabee battalion worked on facilities for small boat harbors, sea plane facilities, and roads.[4]
After WWII, McClure worked for several engineering firms (Soule Steel Company, Thomas F. Chase, George Jennings). At Thomas F. Chase (1947–1953), McClure's primary work was to complete the structural design on schools designed by the architectural client, Anderson and Simonds. McClure opened his own office in Oakland in 1955. Joined in 1962 by David Messenger, the firm became Frank E. McClure and David L. Messinger, Consulting Structural Engineers. McClure and Messinger (1962–1975) provided professional structural engineering design services, with a specialization in earthquake engineering for public, industrial and commercial buildings, schools, hospitals and building retrofit projects. In 1975 as a consultant to the University of California, he developed the University of California Seismic Safety Policy.[5][6]
In 1976, he left private practice to become the University Engineer for the University of California. As University Engineer he oversaw projects on all 9 campuses and implemented the University of California Seismic Safety Policy.[7]
In 1978, he became senior structural engineer for the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, retiring in 1991.[8]