Steese, James Gordon, civil engr.; b. Mt. Holly Springs, PA., Jan. 21, 1882; s. James Andrew and Anna Zug (Schaefer) S.; A.B., Dickinson College, 1902. A.M., 1906; B.S. (1st Honors), U.S. Mil. Acad., 1907; studied U. of Calif., 1908; grad. U.S. Engr. Sch., Washington, 1910; Sc.D., U. of Alaska, 1932; unmarried. Commd. 2nd lt. engrs., June 14, 1907; promoted through grades to Col., June 18, 1918; Brigadier General and Adjutant General Alaska N.G., 1926-27; retired Oct. 1927. Asst. engr. San Diego and San Francisco bays, Calif., 1907-1908; asst. engr. Panama Railroad Co. and Panama Canal., 1908-12; chief engr. 5th (expeditionary) Brig., Tex., 1913; instr. and asst. prof. engring., U.S. Mil. Acad., 1913-17; spl. rep. of gen. mgt. West Md. Ry., June-Sept. 1916; organized O.T.C., Ft. Riley, Kan., and inst. Engr. O.T.C., Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., 1917; asst. chief of engrs., U.S. Army, 1917-1918. detailed on General Staff and chief of section, Sept. 1918-June 1920l spl. mission to Adriatic and Balkan countries, 1919; pres. Alaska Road Commn., 1920-27; also chief engr., 1924, 27; dist. and acting div. engr. for ribers and harbors, Alaska Dist., 1921-27; cons. engr. Dept. Commerce, 1921-27, also for Ty. of Alaska, 1921-23; mem. spl. comm. to investigate Russian, Japanese, and Am. fur seal rookeries, June-Sept. 1922; dir. pub. works, Alaska, 1923-27; chmn. Alaska R.R., 1923-24, also chief engr., Mar-Oct. 1923; with Gulf Oil Corp. as gen. mgr. fireign subsidiary co., 1927-32; chmn. bd. and pres. Guajillo Corp. and affiliated cos., 1932-41; pres. Slate Creek Placers, Inc., 1936-41; recalled to active duty, Corps of Engrs. of maintenance, Panama Canal, and asst. to 2nd v.p. Panama Ry. Co., Jan. 1941-Mar. 1946; asst. to Gov., Panama Canal and asst. to pres., Panama Ry. Co., 1946-47; cons. engr. N. Am. Car Corp., 1947-50. Brig., general, a.d.c., Alaska National Guard, 1935-37. In charge Pres. Harding's tour of Alaska. 1923. Trustee Dickinson College since 1919, Amelia S. Givin Free Library since 1921. Fellow Royal Geog. Soc. (London), Am. Geog. Soc., A.A.A.S.; mem. Am. Soc. C.E. (life), Soc. Am. Mil Engrs., Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Sigma, Am. Legion. Decorated Distinguished Aervice Medal, Legion of Merit (U.S.); Distinguished Service Medal, 2d Class (Panamanian); Officer, later Comdr. Order of Prince Danilo I. and silver medal for bravery (Montenegrin); Croix de Gurre, 2d Class (Grecian); Officer of Public Instruction (French); Khames de l'Ahal Saxaoul, French Sahara; Knight of Order of Compassionate Heart, Comdr. Imperial Order of St. Nicholas (Russia); Interallied Victory Medal, American Defense Medal with star, and American Theater Medal (U.S.); specially commended in Senate and Hous of Rep. of United States, and salary raised by spl. act of Congress, 1926; mil. road from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Yukon River at Circle officially named Steese Highway by War Dept. Del. U.S. Govt. to XIV Internat. Navigatn. Congress, Cairo, Egypt, 1926 (sec. Am. sect.), XV Internat. Navg. Cong., Venice, Italy, 1931, XVI Cong., Brussels, Belgium, 1935, XVII Congress, Lisbon, 1949, XVIII Congress, Rome, Italy, 1953; delegate International Geographic Congress, Paris, France, 1931, XVI Cong., Lisbon, 1949; del. U.S. Govt. to 5th Internat. Congress of Surveyors, London, Eng., 1934 (chmn. Am. section), to Internat. Geog. Congress, Warsaw, Poland, 1934 (pres. sec. I-cartography), to 4th Internat. Congress and Expn. of Photogrammetry, Paris, France, 1934 (declined), to Second World Petroleum Congress, Paris, 1937, Internat. Geog. Congress, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1938. Republican. Episcopalian. Mason (33'), Elk, Clubs: Army and Navy (Washington); West Point Army Mess; University (N.Y.). Author of numerous articles in tech. periodicals and daily press. Home: Army and Navy Club, Washington.