World Trade Center Engineer Visits LJCDS

Dr. Prieto-Portar who holds dual citizenship in the United States and Spain and speaks eight languages, shared stories of taking chances and stepping outside his comfort zone. In AP Spanish (where he spoke exclusively in Spanish) and AP United States Government, Dr. Prieto-Portar discussed his experience as the minister of housing in Argentina under Juan Perón. He spoke to some of his economic decisions and its positive and negative impact on Argentina's history. Students were most impressed by his stories of negotiations with the Gaddafi government in Libya to sell them the Argentine Navy.

 

“Dr. Prieto-Portar talked about his life and how he never passed on any opportunities that came his way,” said Eva Power, world language chair. “He shared stories of his family's history in Spain, his parents forced exile in Cuba, his childhood there, and how he left the island when Fidel took over. His painful experience fighting in the Bay of Pigs allowed him to gain a deep understanding of humanity. He had an incredible story to tell, and we feel very lucky he shared some pieces of it with us.”

 

In a presentation to faculty, staff and parents, Dr. Prieto-Portar told awe-inspiring tales of designing and constructing the World Trade Center in the 1960s when he was the structural analyst for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and a doctoral candidate student at Princeton University. Dr. Prieto-Portar and the team of engineers endured thousands of complications and problems along the way as they pushed boundaries to innovate the first “third generation” structure in the world with two 110-story towers standing at 1,350 feet tall and weighing only 18 percent of the Empire State Building.

 

The construction of the World Trade Center contributed to the advancement of structural engineering in the world. “It’s amazing when you’re challenged, you will always come up with a solution,” he said. “If you’re not challenged, you remain content. Contentment is the worst thing that could happen to a human being.”