Joseph A. Logan, Jr. Papers

Joseph Andrew Logan (born April 12, 1893 in Savannah, Georgia) attended Savannah High School and Benedictine College before coming to Georgia School of Technology in the fall of 1910. A very active student at Tech, he graduated in 1914 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Logan served both in WWI and WWII. He had careers in both the family business and engineering.

Logan participated in many activities and assumed several leadership positions at Georgia Tech. As a freshman he became a member of Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity. While a freshman he also played on the varsity track squad and remained on the team throughout his career at Tech, serving as captain in his junior and senior years. He lettered in the sport in 1913 and 1914. He was an honor roll student, ranked fourth in his class as sophomore. In addition, he served as secretary and treasurer of the sophomore class, became a member of the Blueprint Board, and played on the sophomore football team, which won the school championship, as well as the All-Class Team.

In his junior year, Logan served as vice president of the Georgia Tech Athletic Association, and as a senior he was the President. He became an associate editor of the Blueprint and the athletic/sporting editor of The Yellow Jacket as a sophomore and junior. He served as editor-in-chief of the Blueprint during his senior year. As a senior he also held the positions of vice president of the senior class and business manager of the Dramatic Club. In his final year at Tech, Logan was a member of the Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Senior Mechanical Engineering Society. From 1913-1914 Logan was selected to serve first as a member and then as president of ANAK Society. Selection for membership in the society is considered the highest honor a student can achieve at Georgia Tech.

In 1916 Logan joined the US Army and served as a Captain in the Transportation Corp in France during WWI. After separation from active military duty Logan remained in the US Army Reserves. He then accepted a position with Dixon Construction Company as a project engineer for North Carolina highway construction. In 1921 Logan returned to his native Savannah to be the Managing General Partner of J.A. Logan and Sons, a cotton shipping company.

In November 1923 Logan married Marie Elizabeth Doolan, of Savannah, and they had four children: Mrs. Marie Lerch of Baltimore, MD; Joseph Logan of Pennington, NJ; William G. Logan of Miami, FL; and Dr. Robert Logan of Savannah.

While a member of the US Army Reserves Logan identified the absence of a US Army Corp of Engineers Reserve Unit in South Georgia. Logan communicated this deficiency to the Army General Command and recommended such Unit be formed. In 1932 Logan was requested to form a US Army Corp of Engineers Reserve Unit which he did.

In 1940 Logan was recalled to active Military duty by the Corp of Engineers. Logan Served from 1940 to 1946 in the Third Army Corp in Atlanta and in Washington, D.C. In DC Logan served with the Headquarters of the Army Ground Forces and was a member of the staff at the US Army War College where he had specific responsibility for planning and constructing combat sites to emulate the actual battle sites present and future.

Colonel Logan was awarded the Legion of Merit Medal at the conclusion of WWII for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. In late 1946, Logan once again separated from active military duty to return to civilian life. In 1947 Logan became County Engineer for Chatham County, Georgia where he remained until he retired at the end of 1972. Chatham County recognized Logan’s outstanding character and professionalism as County Engineer with a Proclamation. At age 80 Logan formed J.A. Logan Consulting Engineers, which he owned until his death in 1991.