Gabriel, one of the most celebrated products of his alma matter, the Booker Washington Institute in Kakata, began with his high school years at the Institute after attending elementary school at St. Patrick's High School, Monrovia. After graduation from BWI in 1954, the second of his class, Gabriel matriculated to Cuttington College and Divinity School (now Cuttington University) for two years in order to strengthen his capacity in mathematics and Natural Science, and to further prepared himself for engineering studies in the United States.
He was admitted to Howard University in Washington, D.C. on a Liberian government grant and soon transferred to Indiana Institute of Technology (IIT) where, in 1961, he earned a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) degree in Civil Engineering, His favorite subject was Route Surveying and Highway Design.
Upon returning to Liberia, Gabriel began his distinguished public service with the Department of Public Works and Utilities (later renamed the Ministry of Public Works) serving in the following positions: Chief of Highway Construction (Department of Public Works & Utilities), Project Engineer of Highways and Infrastructure (Department of Public Works & Utilities), Under Secretary - Department of Public Works & Utilities, Secretary - Department of Public Works & Utilities, Minister - Department of Public Works.
Noteworthy projects directly undertaken and completed by Gabriel, or under his direct supervision while with the Department includes - but are not limited to:
* Paving of streets in Harper Port, Maryland. in the mid 1960s
* Electrification of the City of Harper
* Expansion and construction of United Nations Drive in Monrovia
* Construction of the Gabriel Johnson Tucker Bridge in Monrovia
* Paving of the Totota to Ganta Highway
* Reconstruction of Somalia Drive (Freeport of Monrovia to Paynesville)
* Construction of the Ganta to Tappita Highway
* Design and installation of Monrovia Streets and Drainage System
* Construction of the Bomi Hills Road (Tubman Bridge to Tubmanburg)
* Construction of the Pleebo to Barclayville Road and
* Construction of Saclapea to Kpaiplay Road
* Construction of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Village
* Construction of the new Roberts International Airport (RIA)
Minister Tucker's philosophy was that although the Ministry of Public Works was a regulatory agency, it also has the role of principle client of the government, and therefore exerts a major impact in all architectural, engineering and construction endeavors in Liberia. This policy was in place irrespective of government's or private investor's funding. His philosophy played a major role in bringing the World Bank's Third and Fourth Highway Projects - beginning in the mid 1960s and ending in the early 1980s - into the Liberian government's development program.
Tucker's efforts in architecture, civil engineering and construction remains a legacy of his construction management approach for under taking large and complex multi-disciplinary projects. Most important to him was the recruitment and/or training of some of some of the Ministry's (and Liberia's) best architects and engineers during his tenure as Minister.
Gabriel, one of the most celebrated products of his alma matter, the Booker Washington Institute in Kakata, began with his high school years at the Institute after attending elementary school at St. Patrick's High School, Monrovia. After graduation from BWI in 1954, the second of his class, Gabriel matriculated to Cuttington College and Divinity School (now Cuttington University) for two years in order to strengthen his capacity in mathematics and Natural Science, and to further prepared himself for engineering studies in the United States.
He was admitted to Howard University in Washington, D.C. on a Liberian government grant and soon transferred to Indiana Institute of Technology (IIT) where, in 1961, he earned a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) degree in Civil Engineering, His favorite subject was Route Surveying and Highway Design.
Upon returning to Liberia, Gabriel began his distinguished public service with the Department of Public Works and Utilities (later renamed the Ministry of Public Works) serving in the following positions: Chief of Highway Construction (Department of Public Works & Utilities), Project Engineer of Highways and Infrastructure (Department of Public Works & Utilities), Under Secretary - Department of Public Works & Utilities, Secretary - Department of Public Works & Utilities, Minister - Department of Public Works.
Noteworthy projects directly undertaken and completed by Gabriel, or under his direct supervision while with the Department includes - but are not limited to:
* Paving of streets in Harper Port, Maryland. in the mid 1960s
* Electrification of the City of Harper
* Expansion and construction of United Nations Drive in Monrovia
* Construction of the Gabriel Johnson Tucker Bridge in Monrovia
* Paving of the Totota to Ganta Highway
* Reconstruction of Somalia Drive (Freeport of Monrovia to Paynesville)
* Construction of the Ganta to Tappita Highway
* Design and installation of Monrovia Streets and Drainage System
* Construction of the Bomi Hills Road (Tubman Bridge to Tubmanburg)
* Construction of the Pleebo to Barclayville Road and
* Construction of Saclapea to Kpaiplay Road
* Construction of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Village
* Construction of the new Roberts International Airport (RIA)
Minister Tucker's philosophy was that although the Ministry of Public Works was a regulatory agency, it also has the role of principle client of the government, and therefore exerts a major impact in all architectural, engineering and construction endeavors in Liberia. This policy was in place irrespective of government's or private investor's funding. His philosophy played a major role in bringing the World Bank's Third and Fourth Highway Projects - beginning in the mid 1960s and ending in the early 1980s - into the Liberian government's development program.
Tucker's efforts in architecture, civil engineering and construction remains a legacy of his construction management approach for under taking large and complex multi-disciplinary projects. Most important to him was the recruitment and/or training of some of some of the Ministry's (and Liberia's) best architects and engineers during his tenure as Minister.
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