Gus Norwood Understood the Value of Public Power to Our County, State and Region
Gustav Anthony Norwood, 90, of Vancouver, WA, died at his home on May 2, 2006. Survived by his wife, Jean Eileen Neander Norwood (former Vancouver City Councilwoman), sons, Douglas and Eric, daughters, Valerie and Barbara, and eight grandchildren. Gustav was preceded in death by his daughter, Emily.
Born on Jan. 3, 1916 as Gus Smeja of Chicago, he grew up on a small unelectrified farm, attended Elmhurst College on scholarship, and won an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, graduating in 1939.
He won a Rhodes Scholarship, but they were suspended due to WWII. He served in the Pacific on the cruiser, Houston CA30, aircraft carriers, Lexington CV2 and Hornet CV8, during the Doolittle mission and the battles of Midway, Guadalcanal and Santa Cruz Islands. He swam off the sinking Hornet, towing a sailor who couldn't swim, for a mile to an awaiting allied destroyer.
He was chief engineer and Navigator of the Thatcher DD514, and the battle cruiser Alaska CB1, fighting in the battle of Okinawa and Iwo Jima. He received eight battle stars and six campaign bars. After acting as the inactivation officer on his last ship, he discharged from the Navy as a commander. He then went to Harvard on the GI Bill and received his Masters in Public Administration.
He was the first manager of the Northwest Public Power Association, serving 131 consumer owned electric systems, and involved in the building of the Columbia River Dams from 1947 to 1967.
In 1967 he became the first Alaska Power Administrator. In 1972 he worked for the Atomic Energy Commission.
In 1974 he went to work at the Bonneville Power Administration, where he authored many environmental impact statements, and his first book since the war, "Columbia River, Power for the People". He retired from the Federal Government in 1981 and went on to write eight more books, and served as the director of the Clark County Historical Museum.
He received the Elmhurst College Distinguished Alumni Award, and honorary Doctorate of Laws.
