Rotary Club of Beaumont Resolution of Memorial Tribute in Memory of

George John Schaumburg

1909-2008

George John Schaumburg was born in Reading, Pennsylvania to Conrad Schaumburg and Augusta Boldt Schaumburg on April 30, 1909. He had two siblings: Paul Schaumburg and Margaret Schaumburg Yoder. George moved to Southeast Texas in 1931 where he lived a full productive life. During his career as a consulting engineer, he made many contributions to the growth of Beaumont and the surrounding communities of Southeast Texas. George Schaumburg is an important part of the history not only of Southeast Texas but of the world because of his important role during World War II. George Schaumburg died on February 20, 2008 at the age of ninety-eight!

 

Following his early years in Reading, Pennsylvania, George went to LehighUniversity at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he was a member of student council, Tau Beta Pi honorary engineering fraternity, and Cadet Colonel of the ROTC. In 1931 he graduated with highest military honors while also earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering.

 

George then moved to Southeast Texas to work for the Texas Company (later known as Texaco) in Port Arthur. He served as Army Reserve Officer and Commanding Officer for the Civilian Conservation Corps at Beaumont's TyrrellPark. In 1937 he established the firm George J. Schaumburg, Consulting Engineers which practiced civil, mechanical, structural, architectural, and railroad engineering for private, municipal, and industrial clients. After his retirement in 1973, the firm was reorganized as Schaumburg & Polk, Inc., Consulting Engineers. Even after his retirement, George still acted in an advisory capacity to the firm.

 

George Schaumburg used his engineering expertise during World War II, serving as Executive Officer and Acting Corps Engineer of the XIX Army Corps. He personally supervised the preparation of the Normandy Invasion engineer plans for the XIX Corps, First United States Army, including the planning of engineer supply for the support of over 200,000 troops. He was also involved on OmahaBeach on D-Day plus Four, planning and organizing the construction of bridges and the conversion of country roads into six 800 mile military highways extending from OmahaBeach, through Belgium and Holland, to the ElbeRiver in Germany. In his Rotary application, handwritten by George in January 1946, he wrote, "Had charge of roads & road construction, mines & mine fields + demolition, map making & distributing - Printed 1 ½ million maps-would make it higher than Empire State Bldg- 12,000 troops under his unit figured in the Battle of the Bulge."

 

George retired from active duty in 1945 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was awarded the Bronze Star and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm decorations.

 

George served as City Engineer and City Planning Engineer for the City of Beaumont for almost two years following his military service; then he resumed his consulting engineering practice in 1947. His practice provided civil engineering services in the Southeast Texas area: planning, designing, and construction supervision for municipal and private water, sanitary sewerage, and storm drainage distribution systems, water wells, water storage tanks, water and sewage treatment plants, subdivision developments, topographical and property surveys, streets, railroads, and port wharves, and warehouses.

 

In 1932, just one year after George moved to Southeast Texas, he married Dorothy O. Broussard of Abbeville, Louisiana. They were happily married for almost fifty-five years until Dorothy's death on November 30, 1986. During their lifetime of love, they raised their son and namesake George John Schaumburg, Jr. (George J., Jr. was only six years old at the time that Mr. Schaumburg applied for membership in Rotary).

 

George's civic and professional involvements included the following:

·         Membership in National Society of Professional Engineers

·         Past Chairman of the Consulting Engineers Section of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers

·         American Society of Military Engineers

·         Member of the Rotary Club of Beaumont for fifty years prior to becoming an Honorary Member of Rotary

·         Charter member and elder of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church

·         Beaumont Country Club

·         Founding Director of Gateway National Bank of Beaumont (now a branch of Capital One)

·         Member of the Trinity-Neches Council of the Boy Scouts of America

·         Executive Board Member, Budget and Admissions Committee Chair and Vice President of Community Chest ( now the United Way)

 

Honors that George received over the years include the following:

·         Named a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International by his peers

·         Who's Who in the South and Southwest

·         Who's Who in Engineering, Men of Achievement in Texas, and The Texas Gulf Coast: its History and Development

 

George Schaumburg was preceded in death by his beloved and loving wife Dorothy O. Broussard; by his parents Augusta and Conrad Schaumburg; by both his brother Paul Schaumburg and his sister Margaret Schaumburg Yoder.

 

He is survived by his son George J. Schaumburg, Jr. and wife Ann of Beaumont; grandson G. John Schaumburg III of Galveston.and many many friends!

 

George John Schaumburg is remembered for making Southeast Texas a better place and for his historic involvement in World War II as the engineer who helped stage D-Day; and he is remembered as a gentle man of integrity who possessed a strong work ethic and principles that caused him to be deeply respected by people of all ages and all backgrounds.

 

 

Now, Therefore, Be it Resolved that the members of the Rotary Club of Beaumont express sorrow at the death of George John Schaumburg, and extend sympathy to his family as an expression of sincere feeling at the loss of a dear friend.

 

And, Be it Further Resolved that this resolution is spread across the minutes of this Rotary Club, and that a copy be furnished to his family.

 

Passed by unanimous vote of the membership this 5th day of November, 2008.