Bio: Koperski, Joe J. (Retires from Army Corps of Eng. – 1971)

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Koperski

----Source: THORP COURIER (Thorp, Clark County, Wis.) 10 Jun 1971

Joe J. Koperski, a top civilian with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Jacksonville, Florida, and son of John Koperski, RFD 1, Thorp (Clark Co., Wis.), has retired after 35 years of federal service.

Koperski has spent 28 years in the Jacksonville District, and since 1956 he has served as chief of the engineering division. He has been in charge of the Corps' engineering planning and design program for all of peninsular Florida, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands.

Koperski directed construction of much of the work at Cape Kennedy for the space program including design of the man-on-the-moon launch facilities. He has also been responsible for construction of Florida's major deep-draft harbors, shallow-draft waterways, flood control projects and beach erosion control works. He has received numerous engineering honors, including the Florida Engineer-of-the-year Award in 1966, presented by the Florida Section of the American Society of Civil Engineering.

A native of Thorp, Koperski received his engineering training at Illinois Institute and did graduate work at Illinois Institute and Princeton. He is past president of the American Society of Civil Engineers in Florida, and received the Wheeler Medal in 1964 from the Society of American Military Engineers for outstanding contributions to military engineering programs. He also has been honored by the Department of the Army for his outstanding service.

Kperski has two brothers in Thorp. He and his wife, Victoria, have two daughters, Barbara Ann and Janet Jo, and two grandchildren. The Koperskis plant to remain in Jacksonville.