In memory of Njdeh F. Yaghoubian
LOS ANGELES—Njdeh F. “Jack” Yaghoubian, a civil engineer known for his pioneering work in earthquake protection systems, died on May 29, 2025. He was 91.
Born on August 8, 1934, in Tehran, Iran, Yaghoubian was the son of Hagob and Arashalous Hagobian (Yaghoubian), both survivors of the Armenian Genocide who met in an orphanage. Yaghoubian’s insightful memoir, …And Then I Met the Getty Kouros (2014), is dedicated to his parents.
Raised in a close-knit Armenian community in Tehran, Yaghoubian was active in the Armenian Youth Cultural Organization (later Ararat), eventually becoming a scout leader.
Yaghoubian used to say that he was born to be an engineer, and he convinced his parents to support his education in the United States. In 1957, he headed off to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to study structural engineering. Writing with wit and nostalgia about his early years in the U.S., Yaghoubian relates the shock of communal showers, amazement at the tea bag and confusion over the “hot dog”—experiences familiar to many immigrants—and how he took them in stride.
His studies coincided with the launch of the Soviet Sputnik satellite, which intensified the U.S. focus on engineering education. He specialized in geotechnical, environmental and structural engineering, particularly reinforced concrete design.
After graduating, he returned to Tehran, accepting a local engineering position at a modest salary compared to foreign engineers. Recognizing his potential, the Dutch government awarded him a postgraduate fellowship to study in Europe.
In 1965, during a family trip to the U.S., a series of serendipitous events led him to San Francisco, where he was hired by Dames & Moore (D&M), the premier geotechnical and environmental engineering firm in the world. Over 18 years, he contributed to major infrastructure projects worldwide: power plants, refineries, dams, offshore platforms and berthing facilities, airports, highways, high-rise buildings and subway transit systems. Career highlights included:
- Introducing the first slurry trench system in the U.S. for the California Bank headquarters in San Francisco—a method later used at the World Trade Center;
- Preparing California’s first successful Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for a cross-state oil and gas corridor.
In 1975, he earned a law degree through a correspondence program at La Salle Extension University to better understand legal aspects of his career.
A visit to the Getty Museum in Malibu spurred Yaghoubian to develop a proprietary base isolation system that made art objects behave as if suspended in air and remain unaffected by shaking. This pioneering method reverberated through museums worldwide. Parallel with the Getty Museum, Yaghoubian was also involved with the design and construction of the renowned Blackhawk vintage car museum in California.
Based on the success of this new technology, Yaghoubian was asked to evaluate the fragmented Getty Kouros dating to 530 B.C.—“kouros” being the ancient Greek marble statues of male nudes.
His ingenious invention of an earthquake base isolation system for fragile antiquities, combined with a mechanical joint system, made it possible for the Getty Kouros to stand again after 2,500 years. News of the conservation breakthrough at the Getty spread quickly, and museum staff was dispatched around the world to make presentations.
Yaghoubian considered his art preservation technology among his most important achievements, and that inspired the title of his memoir.
Njdeh Yaghoubian is survived by his widow Lilit Marzbetuny Yaghoubian; son David N. Yaghoubian; daughter Christina Hillman (John) Dahlberg; grandchildren Matt, Grant and Daniel Hillman; sister Rita Bagdasarian; stepsons Vahe (Zarui) Marzbetuny and Zareh (Armine) Marzbetuny; and step-grandchildren Davit, Ava and Ella Marzbetuny.
A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, June 18 at 12 p.m. at St. Leon Armenian Cathedral, 3325 N. Glenoaks Blvd. in Burbank, California. A “celebration of life” and lunch will follow in the Kalaydjian Hall next to the church.
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