[Debbie Reading conducted this interview with John this winter. She is the Director of Business Development for Dunlap & Partners and has been with the company since 2008. She is lovingly dubbed the "mother of the house."]
I really questioned whether or not to do this interview. Everyone and their brother knows John Dunlap. His name and exemplary reputation precedes him wherever he goes. JF, as he is fondly called by many, has not only been involved in engineering design for 40+ years, but has also been leading the charge in sustainability design and energy modeling.
Q: Where did John Frank Dunlap, the man, the legend, the engineer - grow up?
A: Wow! A legend? Probably in my own mind, but I appreciate the thought! I'm a North Carolina transplant to Virginia. I grew up in a little town named Walnut Cove in Northwest, North Carolina. The town population was 2500 when I was growing up. If you have seen the Andy Griffith show about the town of Mayberry, it's almost exactly how I grew up.
Q: Why did you decide to pursue engineering, specifically mechanical engineering?
A: My dad worked for Western Electric, a Bell Telephone Company at the time. When I would visit the engineering section, I was impressed with the technological things I believed they knew. I wanted to know what they knew.
Q: What has changed the most in engineering over the years?
A: Speed. I started with a slide rule (still have it as a keepsake) and 2-day overnight delivery. Now, information and calculations are instantaneous.
