Ralph Brazelton Peck was an eminent civil engineer specializing in soil mechanics. He was awarded the National Medal of Science in 1975 "for his development of the science and art of subsurface engineering, combining the contributions of the sciences of geology and soil mechanics with the practical art of foundation design." Ralph Peck was born on June 23, 1912 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to O.K. and Ethel Peck. He received the degree of Civil Engineer from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1934, and was awarded a three year fellowship for graduate work. Most of his graduate work was in structures with minors in mathematics and geology. During his career Peck has authored over 200 publications and co-author many more articles on geotechnical engineering. He died on February 18, 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States.