José Manuel
José Manuel Verhelst was born in Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia, in 1911. He was the son of Manuel Gaspar Verhelst Evertsz and Leonor Evertsz. He later married Petra Berrocal on December 14, 1941; their children were Carlos Manuel, José Manuel, Guillermo, Juan, and Eduardo.
Verhelst pursued higher education at the University of Michigan. University records identify him as an engineering graduate of the class of 1934 and as having completed a Master of Science in Engineering in 1935. His American university education preceded a long professional career in public works, dam construction, maintenance engineering, and engineering consultancy in Colombia and abroad.
Verhelst's professional career was centered on civil engineering, public works, construction, and infrastructure maintenance. He served as chief engineer of the Public Works Department in Cartagena from 1939 to 1947 and continued in that role from 1947 to 1948. From 1948 to 1949 he worked as chief field engineer at the Neusa Dam, returning to the project in the same capacity from 1952 to 1956. He then worked for Brown & Root as a maintenance engineer from 1958 to 1962 and again from 1962 to 1968. From 1977 to 1981 he served as a maintenance consultant for the Ministry of Public Works. He retired in 1981 and remained retired through 2000. Additional career records place him in engineering positions in Colombia in 2000, including design engineer, assistant chief engineer, and chief engineer.
Verhelst was a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a member of the Society of Colombian Engineers. He was also affiliated with the University of Michigan Alumni Association, maintaining a connection with the institution where he completed his engineering education.
Verhelst was the son of Manuel Gaspar Verhelst Evertsz and Leonor Evertsz. He married Petra Berrocal on December 14, 1941. The couple had five sons: Carlos Manuel, José Manuel, Guillermo, Juan, and Eduardo.
