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On This Day in Automotive History: August 8

On This Day in Automotive History
August 8

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Birthdays: Andre Boillot (1891), Fred Harder (1896), Ed Tyson (1910), Woodie Wilson (1925), Piero Drogo (1926), George Esau (1928), Jimmy Davies (1929), Claude Wallington (1930), Bill Ward (1930), Jean-Pierre Delaunay (1943), Michel Lateste (1946), Lorin Arthofer (1947), Tommy Ellis (1947), Ed Lamont (1948), Gary Gray (1951), Robin Quivers (1952), Nigel Mansell (1953), Mike Curtis (1954), Robert Elliott (1955), Charlie Pasteryak (1955), Michael Roe (1955), Howard Bixman (1958), Greg Tomaino (1959), Dario Caso (1962), Curt Dickie (1962), Masahiko Kageyama (1963), Jack Sprague (1964), Mark Poole (1965), Carlos Rolfo (1966), Kevin Casper (1967), Shane Lewis (1967), Bobby Goodwin Jr. (1969), Mark Littleton (1970), Craig Stone (1971), Andy Priaulx (1973), Drew Lachey (1976), Richard Lyons (1979)Adam Jones (1980), Tony Bruce, Jr. (1984), Jesse Smith (1989), Parker Kligerman (1990), Casey Roderick (1992), Thomas Beane (1993)

1916: All applications, accompanied by a medical certificate, must be in today for "United States Civil Service Examination, Senior Highway Engineer (Male)," paying $2,200-$4,000 a year. Candidates will be rated on the basis of education and preliminary training (20 percent), responsible experience in engineering and fitness (30), and responsible experience in highway engineering (50). Minimum age is 30.

1973: Secretary of Transportation Claude Brinegar administers the oath of office to Lester P. Lamm, who succeeds Martin F. "Pat" Maloney as Executive Director. Lamm, a native of Hull, Massachusetts, began his career with Bureau of Public Roads in 1955. On September 17, 1982, he would become Deputy Administrator, the first to rise from career ranks within FHWA. "We, as a family, can truly look back with pride at our accomplishments. We should also look ahead with confidence at the challenges we now have, because together we can do anything. But only as a family," said Lamm.

1980: Secretary of Transportation Neil Goldschmidt administers the oath of office to Ms. Alinda C. Burke, the first woman to become Deputy Federal Highway Administrator. A native of Flint, Michigan, Ms. Burke grew up in Fremont, California, receiving her Bachelor's Degree in political science from Stanford University in 1968. After receiving a Master's Degree from the University of Washington's Graduate School of Public Affairs, she held several government positions in Seattle, before joining Public Technology, Inc., a nonprofit urban research firm in Washington, DC (1975-1979). She served as a Special Assistant to Secretary Goldschmidt before her appointment as Deputy Administrator. "I'm proud to have been chosen for this position but . . . I am extremely respectful of those of you who have made a life's work of giving this nation the finest highway system in the world."

2004: The journey documented in 10 MPH begins in Seattle, Washington.

2006: The reconfigured Las Vegas Motor Speedway reopened for stock car racing.