U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 96-260

This is one of a series of oral histories being prepared to record the development of earthquake engineering and seismic safety policy. The interview program was initiated by Stanley Scott, and is being conducted by him under the general auspices of the Regional Oral History Office of the Bancroft Library, University of California at Berkeley. Now retired after many years a research political scientist at the Institute of Governmental Studies, UC Berkeley, Scott has also had a major part in the development of earthquake hazard reduction policies, and served for 18 years on the California Seismic Safety Commission.

Oral history interviews are transcribed, revised and edited with the intent that they and the tape recordings be placed in the Bancroft Library for research and scholarly use. In the case of the Scott's earthquake engineering oral histories, the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute's interest led to the Henry J. Degenkolb and John A. Blume transcripts being published in Connections: The EERI Oral History Series. Others will follow in due course.

Meanwhile my oral history is being issued at this time as a USGS Open-File Report. While much of this material is based on recorded interviews between Wallace and Scott, some parts were composed by me on a word-processor, but using an interview format. This was merged with the interviews, and the result was extensively edited and reorganized, all with my participation and approval.

I hope my oral history will provide insight into:

1. The U.S. Geological Survey, and its traditions and mode of operations as observed during my tenure there.

2. The struggle to develop an earthquake-hazard-reduction program for the nation as well as the USGS.

3. Anecdotes about people and personalities that emphasize the important ways individuals influence the course of events.

This history basically covers my time at USGS for a period of 53 years--1942 to 1995. I retired in 1987 but continued for a few years as a part-time USGS employee. This was followed by an emeritus designation. While in emeritus status, I witnessed some of the drastic changes introduced by new USGS Director Gordon Eaton during part of 1994 and throughout 1995.

Special attention is given to the earthquake program from 1964, when the great Alaskan earthquake occurred, to 1977, when the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) came into being. After my retirement from the USGS in July, 1987, I was no longer close to the national program as it continued evolving or to priority changes in the earthquake-hazard-reduction program of the U.S. Geological Survey.

In an oral history memoir, the interviewee focuses on events and developments observed personally. I of course witnessed only a small part of the total action going on at USGS, or even in the Menlo Park complex where I spent much of my career. I was not oblivious to the other things going on, but in this oral history I have tried to minimize second-hand reporting and hearsay information. I have tried to stay largely with what I myself observed.

Understandably some readers, particularly colleagues in USGS, may feel that I have neglected or underemphasized important activities or overlooked influential individuals and major turning points. They should understand that in large part this is due to the very nature of a personal oral history and the limitations of its principal source--the interviewee's own recollections. I acknowledge, however, that many omissions are intentional and made in the interest of brevity while retaining overall continuity and clarity.

I want to thank W. Porter Irwin, Hal T. Morris, George W. Walker, and Jerry P. Eaton, for their reviews of this document in an earlier form. My sister, Harriet E. Wallace, verified most of the early personal history. Robert D. Brown, Jr., and Nancy L. Blair read an early draft, encouraged me at a crucial time when I was disappointed with what I had done, and urged me to persevere. Thomas C. Hanks, Malcolm M. Clark, George Gryc, and Laurie D. Hodgen provided very helpful reviews. Hours of dedicated effort by Stanley Scott, interviewer, transcriber and editor, greatly improved the structure and organization. In the give and take of the interviews Scott's comments have added important information and insights.

Robert E. Wallace

Menlo Park, California, 1995

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