1933-1936
Prof. Dr. Dipl. Ing. Jan Smetana, 12.5.1883 Svobodné Dvory – 13.8.1962 Prague
Jan Smetana graduated from the Czech Technical University in Prague and worked as a lecturer from 1905 to 1911 there at Hydraulic Engineering Institute. Until 1919, he was also active within both the Bohemian river regulation commission and Hydrographical department of the Bohemia country authority. From 1920 to 1936 he headed the State Hydrological Institute (nowadays Masaryk T. G. Water Research Institute). He received a habilitation title in and was a professor at the Czech Technical University from 1936 to 1958. He was elected to the Czech Academy of Sciences in 1938, and was a full member from 1946. From 1953 to 1961 he was president of the Technical section of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences. In 1952 he was appointed with a leading of the Hydro technical laboratory (nowadays Institute for Hydrodynamics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic). Smetana is well-known for his work on hydraulic structures. For gate flow in rectangular horizontal channels he developed the surface profile and verified the Froude similarity. He also studied submerged hydraulic jumps located down streams of gates and successfully applied the momentum equation for the sequent depth ratio. Smetana was a founding member of IAHR and honorary president of the International Association of Scientific Hydrology, IAHS. He was awarded the state prize in 1958 and obtained the Order of the Czech Republic.
Smetana, J., Pacak, A., Till, J. (1923). Utilisation des voies navigables pour la production de la force motrice; ses conséquences et ses applications. 13th Congres International de Navigation London 13(1/1).
Smetana, J. (1933). Eude expérimentale du ressaut d'exhaussement. Institut T.G. Masaryk de Recherches Hydrologiques et Hydrotechniques a Prague Bulletin 5: 1-32.
Smetana, J. (1935). Neue Arten beweglicher Wehre. 16. Intl. Navigation Congress Bruxelles 1(2): 1-19.
Smetana, J. (1948). Ecoulement de l'eau au-dessous d'une vanne et forme rationnelle de la surface d'appui de la vanne. La Houille Blanche 3(1/2): 41-53; 3(3/4): 126-146.
Smetana, J. (1948). Etude de la surface d'écoulement des grands barrages. Revue Générale de l'Hydraulique 14(46): 185-194; 15(49): 19-32.
Smetana, J. (1957). Hydraulics. NC SAV: Prague (in Czech).
