5
Meet Our Vice-President
Edward F. Chidsey, a true native
son of Oregon, was born in Prairie City
on April 21» 1903 and spent his early
boyhood and young manhood in the
spacious bounds of G rant and Morrow
counties. School age found him at
Heppner, Oregon, where he attended
grade school and graduated from high
school in 1921.
The engineering profession had an
early appeal to “Ed” and he spent the
last two of his high school summer
vacations gaining experience as a chain-
man w ith the Oregon State Highway
Department. Upon graduation,Tie took
a steady job w ith the Department and,
w ith the exception of six months em
ployment w ith Morrow County and a
four-‘mdnths service w ith a private en
gineer as a transitman, has been with
the Department since, that titne. His
interest.in his chosen profession is indi
cated by his advancement from chain-
man to transitman and thence, to his
present position of resident engineer, the
latter position being held since 1932.
Mr. Chidsey has augmented his techni
cal training by an I.C.S. course in civil
engineering and is a licensed professional
engineer in the State of Oregon.
The life of an engineer is usually one
of frequent changes in residence and
that of Mr. Chidney has been no ex
ception. Married in October of 1925,
Mr. and Mrs. Chidsey, despite their
many moves have managed to maintain
a home, and have raised two daughters
and one son, ages 19,^16 and 11, re
spectively. Their present home I is in
LaGrande.
On being questioned, “Ed” admits a
fondness ‘for fishing and for hunting
“ birds only.” There may be a story
about his hunting experiences which it
might be amiss to tell at this time, but
“Ed” himself could tell some mighty
tall ''fish stories.” He acknowledges a
weakness for golf, which at one time
EDW ARD F. CHIDSEY
was generally considered an old m an’s
game, but which serves him well as a
conditioner for his fishing and hunting
exploits. Somewhat of a poet in his own
right, he is the perpetuator and talented
declaimer of some of the best old ballads
of the engineers of old, including that
famous anonymous contribution to lit
erature, "T he Hobo Engineer.”
As a member of the Oregon State
Employees Association since its incep
tion, Mr. Chidsey has at all time been
extremely active and enthusiastic in his
support of its advancement. He has
maintained an active interest in the La-
Grande Chapter, has served one term as
Director from District V and now
serves as Vice-President of the State
Association and member of the com
mittee on Laws and Legislation. He
brings to our Association friendliness
of nature tempered w ith serious mind
ed application to his duties.