Fredric Raichlen, Professor Emeritus of Civil and Mechanical Engineering in Caltech's Division of Engineering and Applied Science taught at Caltech for forty years. Raichlen formally retired from teaching in 2002 but remained active with Caltech colleagues, students and consultants until he passed away in 2014. The Fredric (Fred) Raichlen papers illustrate Raichlen's contributions to the field of coastal engineering research and practice, particularly in the areas of tsunamis, harbor oscillations, ship dynamics, breaking waves, and wave defense of submarine pipelines. The papers consist of reports, research, consultantancy documentation, slides, audiovisual material and photographs.

Fredric (Fred) Raichlen was born in Baltimore, Maryland on October 12, 1932. He attended Johns Hopkins University where he earned a Bachelor of Engineering in 1953 and earned his Master's and Doctoral degrees in 1955 and 1962 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Raichlen also served in the United States Air Force as an Environmental Health Officer from 1956 to 1959. Raichlen came to the California Institute of Technology as an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering in 1962, promoted to Associate Professor in 1967 and to Professor in 1972. He became one of the founding faculty members of Caltech's doctoral program in Environmental Engineering Science in 1969. He was appointed Professor Emeritus in 2001 however he remained active and worked with colleagues, students and consultants until his last few weeks. Raichlen's research provided major contributions to coastal engineering research and practice, particularly in the areas of tsunamis, harbor oscillations, ship dynamics, breaking waves, and wave defense of submarine pipelines. He was a pioneer in the studies of harbor excitation from long waves and tsunamis. The National Academy of Engineering inducted Fredric Raichlen as a member in 1993. He was a member of numerous other professional organizations including the American Society of Civil Engineers. The American Society of Civil Engineers honored Raichlen with the John G. Moffatt-Frank E. Nichol Harbor and Coastal Engineering Award in 1994 and the International Coastal Engineering Award in 2003.

45.77 linear feet 82 archival boxes, 37 film reels, 4 cartons of VHS

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