Goethals, George Washington (1858–1928)

US engineer and soldier. In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt gave him full responsibility for every aspect of constructing the Panama Canal. Facing immense engineering and personal problems – he supervised some 30,000 workers – he completed the job six months ahead of schedule in 1914. He remained as governor of the Canal Zone until 1916, when he retired from the army. He was recalled in 1917 to serve as quartermaster general of the US Army. Retiring again in 1919, he headed an engineering firm until his death from cancer. Goethals was born in Brooklyn, New York. A West Point graduate (1880), he worked with the Corps of Engineers on various harbour, canal, and river projects.