Charles W. Kaough
The University of Texas at Austin
I grew up in a small town in southwest Louisiana, Lake Charles, living in the same house until I moved away for college. My elementary, junior high and high schools were all within an easy walk from my house. I attended Lake Charles High School, the same high school my parents attended. My senior year I received a Navy ROTC scholarship which allowed me to attend just about any major university in the county. I chose to come to Austin and attend the University of Texas in 1974.
I gave the Navy a try for three semesters and decided that the military life was not for me and gave up my scholarship. I had started UT in the college of Mechanical Engineering but I later decided to enter the Engineering Science College and study Atmospheric Sciences. I enjoyed studying atmospheric sciences and also received a basic engineering background. I was an intern for the National Weather Service in Memphis Tennessee during the summer of 1978. Spring, 1979 I received my Bachelors of Engineering Science cum laude from the university.
The first thing I did upon graduating was travel. I had no obligations and had been in school since I was five years old. I am a bicycling enthusiast and the Bike-Centennial bike trail had been established. I decided to ride my bicycle up to British Columbia, Canada to visit a friend. This ended up being a five month trip. The trip ended on the west coast in San Francisco. It was fun! I returned to Austin to seek my fortune.
Upon returning to Austin I had an opportunity to get involved in a new solar energy company. This was an interest of mine and I had taken several solar energy classes at the university. I became part owner of CCMP Solar, Inc. We manufactured passive solar water heaters and did research and development. CCMP existed during the Jimmy Carter years and there was a full tax credit for individual's investments in solar systems. People had some financial incentive to buy a solar system until the tax credit ended with the Reagan presidency. It was very difficult to make a living in the solar industry so we decided to close up shop.
In 1983 a friend suggested that we start a swimming pool maintenance and repair business in Austin. My being a person who loves the outdoors and loves water, this sounded like a good idea. At the time, 1983, there were very few independent pool and spa maintenance companies in Austin, so business was good. Since then I have owned my own pool and spa service company, got married and had two children.
I never intended to be in the pool service business my whole life so in the Fall of 1995 I began to attend the Universiy of Texas once again to pursue a new career in engineering. I was particularly inspired to continue working with water, and water treatment was an interest of mine. The summer of 1996 I applied to graduate school in the Civil Engineering School, Department of Environmental and Water Resourse Engineering. I was accepted into the program and I will graduate in May 1998.
To be continued.