Texas On This Day
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One of our favorite books is getting fresh update, new format, and hundreds of new entries! From the earliest explorers through the Texas Revolution to present day… almost 500 years of recorded history … a myriad of significant events in Texas history have occurred (political, cultural, sporting, meteorological, criminal, tragic and amusing). These events are arranged by day of the year to allow the reader to see ‘into the past’ on any specific day. Author Gary Vilet will share some of his favorite entries and how the book came about.
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Gary Vliet, PhD, was born in Alberta in 1933. One of his fondest childhood memories was living on a ranch at the foot of the Rockies and, for a period, attending a one-room schoolhouse with one teacher and nine students scattered over nine grades. He received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alberta in 1955 and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University in 1962. After a ten-year career at Lockheed Research Laboratories in Palo Alto, working mainly in thermal cryogenics for space applications, he joined the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Texas at Austin in 1971. At UT, he taught and researched in the areas of 'thermal systems' and 'solar energy' until retiring in 2005. He feels fortunate to have spent most of his career in the Mechanical Engineering Department at UT and being associated with the 'Thermofluids' group, comprising congenial faculty colleagues who were serious educators. Working with eager young people and congenial colleagues has been particularly rewarding. Some of his best recollections include working with student groups: the Pi Tau Sigma ME Honor Society, two groups of students involved in Renewable Energy national competitions in the 1970s, and three national Solar Car Races in the 1990s. His favorite classes were Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, and Solar Energy. He began teaching a graduate/senior level course in Solar Energy in 1975 and offered it annually until retirement. As for research, he feels most rewarded by work in solar energy and developing a several-year 'Solar Radiation Database' for Texas. He is a Fellow of both the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Solar Energy Society.
Vliet has enjoyed retirement, which has permitted him and his wife to do some rewarding travel: several countries in Europe, New Zealand, China, Turkey, St. Petersburg, Ukraine, Croatia, and twice dog-sledding in Alaska. In addition, he has had time to write three books: "Texas on This Day" (history), "Suzanne" (history of his stepmother), and his autobiography, and has served as an editor of the Mechanical Engineering History volumes. As for pastimes, he much enjoys the local Paleontology Society of Austin, a book group, and doing various crafts.
He has been happily married to his wife Donna (a two-degree Longhorn) for 62 years. They have three children (all Longhorns) and four grandchildren.
