Lawrence DuBose '42 Engineering a Good Life
Lawrence DuBose ’42 was born and raised in South Texas, but spent many summers in Austin while his father, a school principal, attended classes at UT. DuBose always thought he would attend UT until a fateful day changed his path forever. While still in high school, he heard a presentation by a TAMU freshman and was instantly inspired. “Once I was at A&M, I never wanted to be anywhere else,” he recently recounted.
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Wanda and Lawrence DuBose '42 |
His undergraduate time at TAMU was a mixture of perseverance, achievement and fun. During his freshman year, his father lost his job and DuBose was not sure if he could return to school. “I borrowed money and worked any chance I got. I never had money to play around with so I was a serious student,” he said. That determination paid off. DuBose was awarded the “Best Drilled Medal” his sophomore year, in recognition of leadership in the Corps of Cadets. He also recalled the air of excitement when the Aggie football team won the national championship in 1939. “It was a great time with great student morale.”
DuBose received his Civil Engineering degree from TAMU in 1942. The next day, he reported for active duty in the Army. After training, he volunteered for duty at Fort Richardson, Alaska, which would turn out to be a significant decision.
While in Alaska, he met Wanda Shreve, an Army nurse and, despite the challenges of this momentous period in history, their life-long partnership began. DuBose was sent to train in three states, followed by combat duty on the battlefields of France. While there, he was shot in the stomach by a German soldier, and spent the majority of 1945 recuperating. Finally, after being separated from Wanda for 23 months, they were reunited and married in 1946.
The newlyweds moved to College Station where DuBose began graduate school at TAMU. The couple would spend the next 10 years in Bryan/College Station while he worked as an instructor and completed his master’s degree and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering. It was a special time for the DuBose family. They purchased their first two homes and had their first three children in Aggieland.
The young family’s journey continued to the University of Alabama. After two years, he left his teaching position to work for Testing Service Corporation in Illinois. Within five years, DuBose purchased the debt-laden company. Over the course of the next 50 years, he traveled throughout the U.S. and to many other countries conducting various soil and geo-technical studies. Wanda was by his side and she provided him with inspiration to work hard. Under his leadership, Testing Service Corporation grew into a “premier source for quality, reliable engineering solutions.” DuBose has since retired and his two sons now run the company.
DuBose and his late wife, who have five children and nine grandchildren, shared a life full of love and prosperity. To commemorate that life and express his love for Wanda and TAMU, DuBose has created the Wanda and Lawrence DuBose ’42 Student Activities Fund and three endowed student scholarships. The Student Activities Fund is an innovative approach to giving. The fund provides Aggies with financial assistance to attend events that would otherwise be funded by the student or through limited department funds. The DuBose fund will provide civil engineering students the opportunity to attend such competitive events as construction of concrete canoes and human powered submarines. “My life has been full of good decisions and I benefited from the opportunities given to me at A&M. When I went to school, it was hard enough for me to buy a Coke, which was a nickel. If I can help a few students, I would like to do that.”
