[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 185 (Wednesday, December 10, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S10879]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO THOMAS W. RICHARDSON

 Mr. COCHRAN. Madam President, Mr. Thomas W. Richardson of the 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will soon retire with over 37 years of 
exceptional service to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He is member 
of the Senior Executive Service and is the Director of Corps' Engineer 
Research and Development Center Coastal Hydraulic Laboratory. His 
accomplishments and dedication to the Corps of Engineers' laboratory 
community and the Army are exceptional and will have a significant and 
long lasting positive impact on this Nation.
  Following 3 years of service as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers, Mr. Richardson began his Army civilian career in 1974 as 
a research hydraulic engineer at the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways 
Experiment Station, in Vicksburg, MS. Through the 1970s and early 1980s 
he was a principal investigator for research studies on dredging 
systems for beach nourishment for offshore sources and an assistant 
investigator on a research study to develop new systems for bypassing 
sand past tidal inlets. During this time he designed and constructed 
the world's first portable, land-based hydraulic sand bypassing system, 
which was delivered to the Corps of Engineers North Central Division as 
an operational plant. A systematic approach became available to address 
a major national concern with both economic and strategic aspects; that 
of bypassing sand to preserve beaches and to maintain harbor channels.
  In 1983, Mr. Richardson became chief of the coastal structures and 
evaluation branch, Coastal Engineering Research Center where he 
supervised 16 researchers specializing in functional design and 
performance of coastal structures, dredging and sand bypassing systems, 
geomorphic evaluation, and empirical design methods for coastal 
projects. From branch chief he quickly moved up to division chief in 
1985 and served in that capacity for 14 years, first as chief of the 
Engineering Development Division and then as the Chief of the Coastal 
Sediments and Engineering Division. He directed numerous comprehensive 
research and development investigations, and studies of coastal 
processes, sediment transport, shoreline change modeling, beach fill 
design methods, prototype systems design and development, and 
functional design of coastal projects. Notably, he developed general 
technical approaches and R&D programs that produced the extraordinarily 
successful and patented CORE-LOC concrete armor unit and the Scanning 
Hydrographic Operational Airborne LIDAR Survey--SHOALS--system.
  Mr. Richardson assumed the duties of acting assistant lab director in 
January 2000. In June of that same year, he was elevated to acting 
director, CHL. Mr. Richardson joined the Senior Executive Service in 
March 2002 upon becoming director of the CHL.
  Under the leadership of Mr. Richardson, the Coastal and Hydraulics 
Laboratory directly supported the Army transformation, civil works 
strategic plan, global war on terrorism operations, and high priority 
civil works operations. In addition, CHL addressed critical levee 
issues for the Department of Homeland Security by developing a unique 
system to rapidly repair breaches in levees caused by natural phenomena 
or terrorist attack.
  Throughout his career, Tom Richardson has demonstrated a profound 
commitment to the Army, the Corps of Engineers, and the Nation. He is a 
consummate professional whose performance in over 37 years of service 
has personified those traits of competency and integrity that our 
Nation has come to expect of its senior civilian leaders. I 
congratulate Mr. Richardson on his distinguished service to the U.S. 
Army and the Nation.

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