"Father of Waterjet Cutting Technology" dies

John Olsen

John Henry Olsen, a pioneer of waterjet cutting technology and co-founder of OMAX®, died Feb. 14, 2019.

Born Aug. 18, 1939, Olsen graduated from Cass Technical High School as a tool-and diemaker. He completed the undergraduate program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1961 and received a doctorate in mechanical engineering in 1966.

Olsen then joined Boeing Scientific Research Laboratories in Seattle and co-founded Flow Research Co. in 1971. The first high-pressure waterjet cutting machine was created in his barn shop in Vashon Island, Wash. After several Flow spinoffs, Olsen joined with partners in 1993 to launch OMAX, a waterjet cutting machine manufacturer, in Kent. Wash.

A memorial service and reception will be held at the Vashon Presbyterian Church on March 23 at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in honor of John H. Olsen '61: MIT Memorial Gifts Office, Attn: Bonny Kellermann, 600 Memorial Drive, Room W98-500, Cambridge, MA 02139 or to the Vashon Maury Island Land Trust, P. O. Box 2031, Vashon, WA 98070.