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Ralph peck

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Ralph Brazelton Peck

Outstanding Alumnus

Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Private Practice, Albuquerque, New Mexico

  • Civil Engineering Degree, 1934, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • Doctor of Civil Engineering Degree, 1937, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Ralph Brazelton Peck joined the University of Illinois faculty in 1942, and worked with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering until his retirement in 1974. In 1948, he and Karl Terzaghi co-authored the most influential geotechnical engineering textbook of the time: Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice. In 1953, he partnered with Walt Hanson and Tom Thornburn to co-author Foundation Engineering, another widely used textbook. Upon retirement, he moved to Albuquerque, where he continued to be active in a consulting practice that spanned 44 states and 28 countries. His projects included the rapid transit systems in Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington; the Alaskan Pipeline System; the James Bay Project in Quebec; the Dead Sea Dikes; and the Rion-Antirion Bridge in Greece

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Contribution to the knowledge of early geotechnics during the twentieth century: Ralph Peck

Ralph B. Peck's story begins with little economic hardship. American by descent and Canadian by birth, Peck was the only child of a middle-class family, with his mother working as a teacher and his father as a railroad bridge engineer.

In his childhood, Peck was a sickly boy, but he lived to be 95 years, one of the longest-lived 20th century geotechnical engineers.

The influence of his family was very important, both in his education and in human values, which conditioned his character.

Throughout his life Peck was a religious person, influenced by his parents especially by two of his grandparents who were missionaries. This meant that during Peck's childhood his social life was centered on Christian groups. In fact, it was in his Christian motivational group of the Denver Presbyterian Church that he met Marjorie Elizabeth Truby, who would later be his wife and with whom he had two children: Nancy J. Peck and James L. Peck.

Peck was always a balanced, prudent person, of exceptional int

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    A message from Professor Peck's daughter

    "It is with great pleasure that I have been watching the birth of this website. Dad’s life touched a lot of people in many places around the world. He not only was known for his expertise in engineering, but for his enjoyment and caring for people. He was truly one who cared for humanity and what happened to it. And Dad was never happier than when he was with his colleagues.

    Dad may have been a well recognized man in the geotechnical profession, but he was also a humble man. Rather than having someone think of him as being a great engineer, his fondest wish was always to be remembered as an educator. This web site will help to make those wishes become reality.

    Thank you to everyone who has helped in both large and small ways to make this website a reality. Dad would have thought it unnecessary, but would have appreciated it."

    Nancy Peck Young October 7, 2009

    "Engineering is indeed a noble sport,and the legacy of good engineers is a better physical world for those who follow them."

    - Ralph Peck

    "Perhaps

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