John Parmakian's retirement from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in 1963 marked his 33rd year of service, with wartime interruption, as engineer, branch chief, assistant chief designing engineer, and associate chief engineer for the Bureau. Today he actively consults for a variety of firms throughout the world on aspects of hydroelectric power plant, pumped storage, pumping plant, and atomic power plant engineering.His career began in 1930 as engineer responsible for stress analysis, design, field installation, and testing of penstocks, hydraulic turbines, gates and valves at Hoover and Grand Coulee dams. In 1939 he earned the M.S. degree in civil engineering from the University of Colorado, having obtained his B.S. degree at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in mechanical engineering.
In 1940 he entered the U.S. Army Pacific Theatre of Operations as a captain. He was responsible for tactical and technical training and combat employment of antiaircraft units of battery, battalion, and group strengths in various Pacific areas. At war's end Colonel Parmakian had three technical (antiaircraft) publications to his credit which had appeared in The Coast Artillery Journal, and since has authored a total of 20 technical papers. He is the author of the book Waterhammer Analysis, which has been published in Japanese as well as in the English language.
As chief of the Bureau's technical engineering analysis branch Parmakian directed engineering activities in the technical analysis of problems pertaining to design and construction of dams, canals, power plants, and pumping plants. In 1961 he was promoted to assistant chief designing engineer and coordinated the technical and design activities of 350 engineers in the division of design. This work involved the dams, geology, mechanical, hydraulic machinery, and technical engineering analysis branches.
Shortly before his retirement, Parmakian as associate chief engineer shared direction of the Bureau's activity in 17 western states and Alaska, involving over 1,200 personnel. For the decade of the 50s he served as commanding officer of the 5002nd U.S. Army Reserve Research and Development Unit in Colorado, and has been a nonresident instructor of engineering graduate courses at the University of Colorado. He is a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and a member of the International Association for Hydraulic Research.