Maynard P. Goudy was born near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1892. At an early age his family relocated to eastern Kansas. After a typical farm childhood, he attended Kansas State Agricultural College, where he studied engineering. After graduation he went to work for the Utah Power & Light Company, whose service area covered all of Utah and southern Idaho. Goudy worked primarily in operations and spent most of his early years with the company supervising work at remote power stations and along the distribution lines. During World War I he enlisted in the Merchant Marine and spent twelve months during 1917-1918 in training and on supply ships running to and from France.
After the war Goudy returned to Utah Power & Light and was gradually promoted to administrative duties. After the 1929 Crash he returned to operations. After leaving Utah Power & Light Goudy worked for five years for the Locke Insulator Company, for fifteen years as the manager of the municipal power system in Idaho Falls, and for ten years with Arizona Public Service. Around 1960 he began to write a memoir of his life and career. He produced a manuscript covering the years to 1928 in the following year, but died soon after without completing the project.
From the description of Memoir, 1961. (Hagley Museum & Library). WorldCat record id: 122370767
