George D. Clyde Water Research Laboratory (1898-1972)
The Utah Water Research Laboratory came into being at the convergence of an idea and some determined and farsighted individuals from Utah State University in the late 1950s. They foresaw the need for a focused investment in water resources research and acted to make a water research facility a reality. The concept of a Utah Water Research Laboratory had evolved over many years of careful thought and study by those in the state with a special interest in water research. Three such individuals were Dean F. Peterson, then dean of the College of Engineering, at USU; George Dewey Clyde, then governor of the State of Utah; and Vaughn E. Hansen, faculty member in the Department of Civil and Irrigation Engineering at USU, who later became the first director of the UWRL. The trio’s continued efforts, along with many others, led to state legislation authorizing the creation of the Utah Water Research Laboratory to the acquisition of funding for the original structure. The dedication of the building was held on December 6 and 7, 1965. During his speech at the dedication, former Governor Clyde called it a “culmination of a dream.”
By 1975, the research program had outgrown the facility. Additional funding was obtained from the Utah State Legislature, and, in 1980, the present the expansion was completed. This building addition dedication was held on December 4, 1980.
The building that houses the Utah Water Research Laboratory was named the “George Dewey Clyde building” in official ceremonies on August 6, 1982. The naming honored the former governor of Utah for his contributions to water research and development in Utah.