The founders of Géotechnique

The first issue of Géotechnique was published in June 1948, and the story of its origins is well known. Publication followed the wide circulation of a letter in July 1947 from ‘The Geotechnical Society’ to every western European country in which the proposal for such a publication was made. Listed at the bottom of the letter were eleven ‘Founders’, four from the UK and the remainder from elsewhere in Europe. The function of the ‘Founders’ was to contribute to the early issues of the journal and to assist with identifying other contributors. This paper gives brief vignettes of all these 11 eminent geotechnical engineers, together with two others who contributed significantly to the early success of the journal. It is hoped that these vignettes will serve to inspire present and future generations of geotechnical engineers, not only in their professions, but also in their enjoyment of working with fellow enthusiasts.