Norman Jacobson

Life Member 1993

Born in Portland, Norman G. Jacobson Jr. (November 10, 1927 - August 26, 2015) moved with his family to Dash Point, Tacoma in 1932, where his father worked in the timber industry.

Norm initially attended Washington State University in 1945-1946, then enlisted in the Corps of Engineers. After basic training, he served at the Tokyo Engineering Group Headquarters, as Survey Party chief in the Engineering section. Upon early discharge in December 1947, he returned to WSU before transferring to the University of Washington, where he received his BSCE in 1951. Commissioned as a 2nd LT through ROTC in 1950, he joined others from UW in the Seattle Engineering Brigade, called to active duty in June 1951, serving as Airport Engineer 1951-53.

Upon discharge he worked with the Seattle firm of Worthington Skilling 1953-56, after which he joined his Army boss James H. Reid as an associate civil/structural engineer, registered in 1957. In 1957-1958 he taught basic structural engineering classes as an Assistant Professor at the UW Department of Architecture.

In 1958 he founded N. G. Jacobson & Associates in Seattle, offering consulting engineering services in civil, structural, and transportation engineering and parking. The firm produced designs for projects located throughout Washington and the Northwest and also performed engineering investigations and studies for the public, insurance, and private sector clients. Projects include bridges, warehouses incorporating vehicular maintenance and high bay structures, parking lots, marinas, fixed and floating breakwaters, dock and wharf structures, structural building restorations, highways and streets, and also drainage, water, and sewer systems. As of 2005 when Norm's son Gregory N. Jacobson took on firm leadership, the firm had received 18 awards for design of parking structures, from ACEC, AIA, CECW, International Parking Institute, Washington Precast Concrete Industry, and EFA/NW Naval Engineering Command.

Norm's notable projects include the Seattle World's Fair Parking Garage in 1961, recognized by design awards at the time. He presented "Seattle Center Self-Parking Facility" at the 15th Fall Convention of the American Concrete Institute held in Seattle September 28-29, 1962. He also did form work for the construction of the United States Science Pavilion. In addition to his SEAW involvement, Norm held membership in the International Parking Institute, American Concrete Institute, Consulting Engineers Council of Washington, International Concrete Repair Institute (Executive Committee member), American Society of Civil Engineers, Construction Specifications Institute, and the Post Tension Institute.

Through Rotary, Norm became involved in the Bridges to Prosperity program for Peru to assist in providing isolated communities with access to essential healthcare, education, and economic opportunities by building footbridges over impassable rivers.