Jerald E. Christiansen Papers, 1927-1981

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Christiansen, Jerald Emmet, 1905-
Title
Jerald E. Christiansen Papers
Dates
1927-1981 (inclusive)
Quantity
11 boxes, (5.5 linear feet)
Collection Number
UUS_COLL MSS 310
Summary
This eleven-box collection consists of Jerald E. Christiansen's professional papers spanning the period from 1927 to 1981 and includes his correspondence, research papers, thesis, working files, and publications. The organization of this material is based on Christiansen's personal filing system.
Repository
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections & Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu
Access Restrictions

No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Jerald Emmett Christiansen was born April 9, 1905 in Hyrum, Utah the son of Jeremiah Josiah and Emily Josephine Israelsen Christiansen. In 1923 Christiansen enrolled at Idaho State College, Pocatello (now Idaho State University) where he earned an AD in 1925. That fall he enrolled at the Utah State Agricultural College (now Utah State University) and received a BS with Honors in Engineering in 1927 and was valedictorian of his class. The following semester Christiansen pursued graduate studies at University of California, Berkeley from where he earned his MS in Civil Engineering in 1928. His thesis was entitled "A Study of the Regulation of Kings River by Storage." The following summer on July 17, 1929 Christiansen married Rebecca Henderson Nelson in the Logan LDS Temple and they later had two sons, Jerald N. and Henry N. Christiansen.

In the fall of 1928 Christiansen accepted a faculty position at University of California, Davis where he worked until 1941. During this period Christiansen pioneered studies in the science of sprinkler irrigation. In 1935 Christiansen obtained a Civil Engineer’s Degree from University of California, Davis and his final report was entitled "Distribution of Silt in Open Channels." In 1942 he accepted a USDA position at the Regional Salinity Laboratory, at Riverside, California where he worked for four years. In 1946 Christiansen returned to Utah State University to serve as Dean of Engineering and acted in this capacity until 1957. From 1957 until his retirement in 1975, Christiansen worked at Utah State University both teaching and conducting research. In 1975 Utah State University awarded Christiansen an honorary doctorate degree.

Over the course of Christiansen’s career he worked on irrigation and engineering projects in Europe, South America, and the Middle East. He was also actively involved with various scholarly organizations, in local and civic affairs, and with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was awarded the Royce J. Tipton Award in 1976 by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Christiansen died at his home in Logan, Utah on October 28, 1989.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This eleven-box collection consists of Jerald E. Christiansen’s professional papers spanning the period from 1927 to 1981. This collection contains Christiansen’s correspondence, research papers, thesis, working files, and publications. The organization of this material is based on Christiansen’s personal filing system.

  • Collection at a Glance;
  • Boxes 1-3: Christiansen’s thesis, research papers, and working files, 1927-1950.
  • Boxes 4-7: Working files, A-W, 1960-1979.
  • Boxes 8-9: Nebraska Project files, 1965-1979.
  • Box 10: Publications and reports authored and co-authored by Christiansen.
  • Box 11: Christiansen’s graduate robes.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the Jerald E. Christiansen Papers must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.

Preferred Citation

Initial Citation: Jerald E. Christiansen Papers USU_COLL MSS 310, Box [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library. Logan, Utah.

Following Citations:USU_COLL MSS 310, USUSCA.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Arranged according to Jerald E. Christiansen's personal filing system.

Processing Note

Processed in June of 2006

Acquisition Information

The papers in this collection were donated to USU Special Collections in 1994 by Jerald Nelson Christiansen, the son of Jerald E. Christiansen.

Bibliography

Source:
Christiansen’s obituary, The Herald Journal , October 30, 1989, page 4.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Thesis and Research Papers, 1927-1950Return to Top

(3 boxes, 22 folders)
Container(s) Description Dates
Thesis papers
1927-1935
Box Folder
1 1
Christiansen, "The Utilization of Logan River for Irrigation and Power," Utah Agricultural College, BS Honors Thesis
1927
1 2
Christiansen, "A Study of the Regulation of Kings River by Storage," U of California, Berkley, MS Thesis
1928
1 3
Christiansen, "A Study of the Distribution of Silt in Open Channels," U of California, Davis, Civil Engineer Degree Thesis
1935
1 4
MS thesis drawings
1928
1 5
Civil Engineer's Degree thesis research papers
1935
1 6
Research papers on heat transfer
1930-1939
1 7
Diesel engine notes
1933
1 8
Diesel engine notes
1933
Research papers, reports, correspondence, and award certificates
1933-1981
Box Folder
2 1
Christiansen, "Modified Venturi Section for Open Channel; Vol. 1," Project 728
1937
2 2
Christiansen, "Modified Venturi Section for Open Channel; Vol. 2," Project 728
1937
2 3
Christiansen, Yallala, and Lowry, "Modified Venturi Section for Open Channel"
1937
2 4
Experiment station project 250, correspondence
1941-1946
2 5
Sevier River evaporation mats
undated
2 6
Harry B. Walker eulogy
undated
2 7
Christiansen, "Wire-Wrapped Concrete Pipe"
1941
2 8
Awards and certificates
1931-1975
2 9
USU Distinguished Alumnus Award plaque
1981
2 10
Christiansen, "Progress Report: Water Requirements for Waterfowl Areas Near the Great Salt Lake"
1960
Research papers on the Howard Slough Refuge, Davis County, Utah
1960-1962
Box Folder
3 1
Water stage record charts for the Howard Slough Refuge
1960
3 2
Water stage record charts for the Howard Slough Refuge
1961
3 3
Water stage record charts for the Howard Slough Refuge
1962
3 4
Water stage record charts for the Howard Slough Refuge
1962

Working files, 1960-1979Return to Top

(4 boxes, 55 folders)
Container(s) Description Dates
Working files, A-C
1960-1970
Box Folder
4 1
AID program, LA, correspondence
1970-1979
4 2
AID/ICA
1967
4 3
American Society of Agricultural Engineers, correspondence
1970-1979
4 4
American Society of Agricultural Engineers, committee files, correspondence
1970-1979
4 5
American Society of Civil Engineers, correspondence and papers
1970-1979
4 6
Alfaro, Jose F.
1970
4 7
Argentina correspondence
1965-1975
4 8
Armstrong, Ellis
1969-1972
4 9
A – correspondence
1970-1979
4 10
B – correspondence
1970-1979
4 11
C – correspondence
1970-1979
4 12
Carias, Fabio
undated
4 13
Chase, Daryl, correspondence
1960-1969
4 14
CIDIAT
undated
4 15
Correspondence
1969-1971
Working files, Christiansen’s correspondence
1972-1978
Box Folder
5 1
Correspondence
1972
5 2
Correspondence
1973
5 3
Correspondence
1974
5 4
Correspondence
1975
5 5
Correspondence
1976
5 6
Correspondence
1977-1978
Working files, C-F
1960-1979
Box Folder
6 1
Christiansen, Henry N.
undated
6 2
CSW Pakistan, W.D. Kemper
1973
6 3
Costa Rica
1973
6 4
CIDIAT – drainage engineering
undated
6 5
CIDIAT – Meridia, Venezuela
undated
6 6
CIDIAT – short course, Maracay
1968
6 7
CIDIAT – national short course
1967
6 8
Civil engineering
undated
6 9
College of Engineering, USU, memos
1960-1969
6 10
Cususwash project proposal
1970
6 11
D – correspondence
1970-1979
6 12
Development and Resources Corporation
undated
6 13
Donnan, William W.
1943
6 14
Drainage, Ubate, and Chiquinquira, Columbia
1965
6 15
E – correspondence
1970-1979
6 16
El Salvador – Zapatitan Project report
1971
6 17
Engineering Experiment Station, USU
undated
6 18
Enviro Engineers Inc., correspondence
1970-1979
6 19
F- correspondence
1970-1979
6 20
FAO – general correspondence
1960-1969
Working files, F-W
1960-1979
Box Folder
7 1
The Ford Foundation, correspondence and papers
1960-1969
7 2
Fujioka, Yoshikaza
1970
7 3
Gibson, William; ECI, correspondence
1967-1972
7 4
Golberg, Dan, correspondence and papers
1960-1969
7 5
Guestbook, USU Alumni Association
1973-1979
7 6
Guatemala trip
1972
7 7
Hansen & Associates, correspondence
1965
7 8
Hansen, Jaughn E., correspondence
1959-1966
7 9
Hagan, Robert M., correspondence
1959-1964
7 10
Hargreaves, George H., correspondence and papers
1970-1971
7 11
Israel trip, correspondence and papers
1970-1975
7 12
Newspaper clippings concerning Christiansen and his work
undated
7 13
Notebook with list of publications borrowed from Christiansen
undated
7 14
Water supply outlook for Utah
1963-1965

Nebraska Project Working Files, 1960-1979Return to Top

(2 boxes, 16 folders)
Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
8 1
Irrigation study reports
undated
8 2
Dounau, Bill
1960-1969
8 3
Water quality data
undated
8 4
Nebraska maps
undated
8 5
Maps of soil types
undated
8 6
Working copy of unnamed report
undated
8 7
State of Nebraska papers
1970-1979
8 8
Water quality – ASCE
undated
9 1
Correspondence and papers
1975
9 2
USBR – Nebraska project
1975
9 3
Christiansen, final draft of “Pre-feasibility Study of an Irrigation Project in . . . Nebraska”
1975
9 4
Draft of “Pre-feasibility Study of an Irrigation Project in . . . Nebraska”
undated
9 5
Draft of “Pre-feasibility Study of an Irrigation Project in . . . Nebraska”
undated
9 6
Computer data, research data
undated
9 7
Drainage bulletin essay, draft of
undated
9 8
Draft of “Basic Principles of Drainage and Salinity”
undated

Publications and reports by Christiansen, 1930-1974Return to Top

(2 boxes, 16 folders and robes)
Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
10 1
Christiansen, “Distribution of Silt in Open Channels,” Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, Sixteenth Annual Meeting
1935
10 2
Christiansen and Donnan, “Piezometers for Water Table Determination,” Western Construction News, Vol. 1 # 11, 77-79
(two copies)
1944 November
10 3
Christiansen, “The Uniformity of Application of Water by Sprinkler Systems,” Agricultural Engineering, Vol. 22 # 3, 89-92
1941 March
10 4
Christiansen, “The Development of the Left Bank Lower Moulouya Irrigation Project, Morocco”
1965
10 5
Christiansen, “Drainage and Salinity Problems in the Laguna de la Nava”
1964
10 6
Christiansen and Olsen, “Drainage and Salinity Problems in Irrigated Areas; How to Avoid or Minimize Them,” USU
1974
10 7
Christiansen and Mehta, “Estimation of Pan Evaporation from Climatological Data,” USU
1965
10 8
Christiansen, “Estimation of Pan Evaporation from Climatological Data,” USU
1966
10 9
Christiansen, “Indications of Changing Relations Between Precipitation and Stream Flow with Time,” USU
1967
10 10
Christiansen and Hargreaves, “Irrigation Requirements from Evaporation and Climate Data”
1968
10 11
Christiansen, “Manual on Salinity and Water Quality as Related to Drainage,” USU
1969
10 12
Christiansen, Jurinak, and Grassi, “ Observasiones y Recomendaciones con Respecto a los Problemas de Drenaje y Salinidad”
1968
10 13
Christiansen, “Precipitation and Runoff Trends: Upper Sevier River Basin, Utah,” USU
1964
10 14
Christiansen and Patil, “A Rational Approach to the Estimation of Evaporation . . . from Climatological Data,” USU
(two copies)
1961
10 15
Christiansen, “Report on Water Resources Development in Iraq”
1958
10 16
Miscellaneous Papers (mimeograph) by Christiansen
1930-1942
11
Christiansen's graduate robes
undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Sprinkler irrigation

Personal Names

  • Christiansen, Jerald Emmet,|d1905-

Corporate Names

  • University of California, Davis
  • Utah State University. College of Engineering