Inducted
Degrees
John C. Giese graduated from the University of Florida in 1950 with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering.
Immediately following his graduation, Giese found employment as a postgraduate position (or internship) with the American Bridge Company in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, as a structural detailer. A year later, he would accept a job at the Bridge & Marine Test Branch, Ft. Belvoirk, Virginia, testing military bridges.
He found his way to West Virginia in 1995 when he worked as a bridge engineer for the firm of Frank McEnteer, who had a contract for design work on Interstate 81 in the Martinsburg area.
After the death of his employer McEnteer two years later, Giese opened his own firm, John C. Giese Engineers, Inc. and continued the work on I-81.
His design for the cloverleaf on I-81 was the first full cloverleaf in West Virginia. In his 50 years of design work, he has completed plans for approximately 600 bridges in the state.
Although his own education wasn't at WVU, Giese and his family have deep connections
to the college. His wife, Sylvia, earned her master's degree in the College, and
four of their six children have graduated here, with their oldest son having received
his master's degree in civil engineering.