Disbanded upon publication of the manual, the committee was subsequently reorganized by the Highway Research Board in 1953, again with O. K. Nbrmann as its chairman. Again, there could have been no other sensible choice. The committee was charged with extending and updating the original manual, and at an appropriate time, presenting a revised version for publication. The new manual was nearing completion when death took the chairman. It will be his monument.
Although perhaps most widely known for his work in highway capacity, Normann’s research led him into all facets of geometric design of highways, and many of today’s standards of curvature, sight distance, gradients, lane widths, and intersection design are traceable directly to his efforts. Again, it was his understanding of the highway as but one element of a system that enabled him to design his experiments so as to produce results of immediate applicability. Important as he regarded the adequate reporting of research results, he felt their greatest value lay in prompt application.
As his technical field broadened, he was called upon, as is often the case, to shoulder increasing administrative duties. He advanced steadily through positions of heavier responsibility, until at the time of his death, he was serving as Deputy Director for Research of the Office of Research and Development in the Bureau of Public Roads. Despite the burden of administrative duties, his interest in technical matters in no way slackened and he seemed to regard the administrative functions as merely added, not different, responsibilities. In effect, he did two jobs, each in his characteristically thorough and exacting way—something he could do because of his energy and physical endurance, but which evoked mixed feelings of admiration and despair among those whom he hopefully expected to keep pace.
He was always a part of his community and accepted civic responsibilities with the same energy and enthusiasm that marked his professional life. He was active in and served as president of his Civic Association, and as chairman of Better Government Committee of his county’s federation of civic associations.
In all aspects of life, not merely in his professional area, Normann was a confirmed skeptic. In his view, there must be some better way to do it, whatever it might be, than the way it was traditionally being done, Little with which he was connected failed to show some evidence of innovation before its completion—a healthy attribute in research, but not always so desirable in other fields, such as, for example, home building. Many are the anecdotes which will live long in retelling among his vast circle of friends that stemmed from Normann’s innovations, and from his amazing resourcefulness in turning apparent setbacks and failures into advances and success.
Through his highway work he became widely known around the world. Many engineers from other countries, in travelling through the United States, benefited by technical discussion and enjoyed his warm hospitality. Along with his activity in the United States he had the unique opportunity to direct the changeover from left-hand to right-hand driving in Panama during World War II. He conducted a training course in highway capacity in Madrid in 1961 and was one of a small group of United States highway engineers who were given an extensive tour through Russia in that same year.
In his professional field, he was active in the Institute of Traffic Engineers, and served as a member of its Board of Direction from 1959 to 1961, as well as President of the Washington Section, ITE, in 1956 to 1957.
Among the many testimonials and honours he received were the Department of Commerce Silver Medal for Meritorious Service in 1960, and the Theodore M. Matson Memorial Award in recognition of the advancement of the science of traffic engineering in 1957. A unique feature of the latter award is that he was the first recipient.
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