Engineering 10
Engineering
History
Bruce Mayer, PE
Licensed Electrical & Mechanical Engineer
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
1
Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
BackGround
 The Earliest “Technical Drawings”, or
“BluePrints”, Date Back to About 4000
B.C. With the
Fortress Plans of
the Chaldean
Engineer Gudea
 However, The Engineering Discipline
Was Not Formalized Until about the
16th Century; We start There
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
European Roots
 The French Engineering Tradition
Resulted From The Strong National
Monarchy of the 16th & 17th Centuries.
• Tax collection systems made possible an
enlarged and permanent military--the first
major employment base for engineers
• First projects:
– Fortresses (strong enough to resist artillery)
– Road and Bridges (to support movement of
armies)
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
French Roots cont.
 In 1676 the French Minister of War
created the CORPS OF ENGINEERS
in the French army.
• Personnel were recruited from the lower
French nobility and the upper middle class
 In 1716 the French Royal Government
Created the Corps of Bridges & Roads.
• A Network Of Roads Was Created
To Speed the Deployment Of Troops
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Early Engineering Schools
 First Schools Founded in France
• 1747 – école des Ponts et Chausseses
(School of Bridges and Roads)
• 1749 – école du Corps Royal du Genie
(School for Military Engineers)
• 1778 - école des Mines
(School for Mining Engineers)
• 1794 - école PolyTechnique (School for
Theoretical and Mathematical Engineering)
 By 1800 Engineering was an
established profession in France
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Father of the Modern “BluePrint”
 Gaspard Monge, a French
Mathematician and
Engineer, developed the
modern method of
“Orthographic Projection” in
the 1760’s.
 This was a State Secret
until France allowed Monge
to publish his work in 1799
 Monge’s Method Made
Possible Modern CE & ME
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Engineering in America
 The Government remained the primary
patron of engineering throughout
Europe until Britain's commercial and
industrial expansion allowed
partnerships and corporations to
undertake large and complex projects.
 Early American engineering was a
blend of French and British
engineering traditions.
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Engineering in America cont.
 The outbreak of the American
Revolution created a
sudden demand for
engineers.
 In 1775 the 2nd
Continental Congress
established the
Corps Of Engineers
in the Continental Army.
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Engineering in America cont.
 Until 1783 the Corps of Engineers was
lead by, and primarily composed of,
French engineers.
• The Corps was dissolved along with the
Continental army after 1783.
 In 1794 Congress authorized the Corps
of Artillerists and Engineers and
assigned it to the garrison at West Point.
• This was the First formalized education
program for engineers in America.
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Engineering in America cont.
 First major Govt-financed transportation
project was the 365-mile-long Erie
Canal in 1816.
 Many
transportation
projects
followed,
thus increasing
the need for professionally
trained engineers.
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Engineering Workforce Education
 Benjamin Wright, Canvass Wright, and
James Geddes were hired by the state of
New York to oversee the construction of
the Erie Canal (1817 to 1820).
• They learned engineering by trial-and-error.
 Geddes and the Wrights were authorized
to hire assistants to help them.
• This set the stage for the Engineer
apprenticeship training program.
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Engineering Education cont.
 America's Mechanical Engineering
needs were met by Engineers trained
on-the-job
• Most starting as machine-shop apprentices
 In 1817 superintendent
Sylvanus Thayer
introduced a standard
four-year engineering
curriculum at West Point.
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Engineering Education cont.
 In 1865 the Naval Academy established
the Department of Steam Engineering,
• One of the First Mechanical Engineering
Programs In America
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Civilian Engineering Education
 1820 - Norwich University, the first
civilian engineering school, was
founded by Alden Partridge.
• By 1834 a 3-year program was in place.
 1824 - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
(RPI) was founded to train teachers to
instruct farmers and artisans on the
scientific principles of their vocations.
• 1835 Started to Award Civil Engineering
degrees
• Three-year program in place by 1850
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
American Engineering Education
 The Army Academy at West Point, NY
remained the major source of Engineering
Educators until the late 1860's.
 The Morrill Act of 1862 established the
Land Grant institutions to teach
Agricultural and the Mechanical arts.
• Land Grant Universities significantly
increased the number of Engineering
Educational Programs
– 70 by 1872 and 85 by 1880
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Land Grant Universities
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
American Engineering Education
 Mechanical Engineering programs at
Land Grant institutions were bolstered
when Congress authorized the Navy to
detail (assign) surplus officers to teach
Steam
Engineering and
Iron & Steel
Ship Design
(1879 to 1896).
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Professional Institutions
 1818 - Institution of Civil Engineers
founded in Britain, the FIRST
Professional Society for Engineers
 1824 - Franklin Institute of Philadelphia
was formed to educate crafts persons in
the scientific principles of their work
 1867 - The American
Society of Civil
Engineers (ASCE) was formed.
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Professional Institutions
 1871 - The American Institute of Mining
Engineers was formed when mining
engineers split from the ASCE.
 1880 - American Society
of Mechanical Engineers
(ASME) established.
 1884 - American
Institute of Electrical
Engineers founded.
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
American Style of Engineering
 By the end of the 19th Century the style
of engineering in America Diverged
From The French and British styles.
• American Engineering stressed efficient
use of labor, and economy in design
– Commercial Focus
• The European Style emphasized strength,
safety, permanency, and Style.
– Aesthetic Focus
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Dawn of the Modern Era
 By 1900
• there were 40,000 practitioners in the
engineering profession in America.
• Four professional societies had emerged
• Nearly 100 educational
programs in
Full Operation
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Growth of Engineering in America
 The transportation, communication and
manufacturing systems designed by
engineers in the 19th Century grew into
capital-intensive enterprises.
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bell Labs – NY, NY
Circa 1925
• Large firms sought to
institutionalize and
control the inventive
process through
Industrial Research
Laboratories
Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Rapid Expansion in 20th Century
 Technology and Practitioners Exploded
after about 1900
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
American Engineering Growth
 Electrification of America (the utility industry)
was accomplished by system builders such
as Thomas Edison, Samuel Insull, S.Z.
Mitchell and George Westinghouse
• These and similar systems (e.g. Telephones)
formed the core of engineering employment.
 The engineering sciences developed during
the late 1800's were now common
• Journals & Societies Proliferated
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Growth of the USA Profession
 1900  40,000 engineers in America (13
engineers per 10,000 workers)




1950  500,000 engineers
1960  128 engineers per 10,000 wrkrs
2006  2,000,000 engineers
By 1950 engineering had become the
largest single occupation pursued by
American men
• Also The second largest occupation
claiming professional status.
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Government Employment
 At the turn of the 20th century the Army
Corps of Engineers was the major
government employer of engineers
• few other agencies employed engineers
 The Great Depression created new
positions for engineers with the birth of
public works projects (e.g.; TVA).
During the Civil War, the Army Corp
of Engineers were responsible for
building roads and bridges for troop
transport. Here the 5th New Hampshire
Infantry are building a bridge over
the Chickahominy River in Virginia
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Government Employment cont.
 World War II and the Cold War further
increased federal employment of
engineers.
• 1900 - 15% of engineers
employed
by government
• 1945 - 40% of engineers
employed directly or
indirectly by government
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Institutional Development
 1907 - The American Society of
Agricultural Engineers (ASAE) Founded
 1908 - Chem Engrs left the American
Chemical Society to form the American
Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
 1932 - The Society for the Promotion of
Engineering Education (SPEE)
• Later became the Accreditation Board for
Engineering and Technology (ABET).
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Institutional Development
 1934 - National Society of Professional
Engineers (NSPE) was formed
• Focused on
economic issues
affecting engineers
• Responsible for
passing legislation
to require licensing
of engineers.
 Taken from The Engineer in America: A Historical Anthology
from Technology and Culture edited by
Terry S. Reynolds. 1991.
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
American Innovation
 American Inventors/Engineers
• Samuel Morse  Telegraph
• Robert Fulton  SteamBoat
• Eli Whitney  Cotton Gin
• Alexander Graham Bell  Telephone
• Charles GoodYear  Vulcanized Rubber
(for Vehicle Tires)
• Oroville & Wilbur Wright  AirPlane
• Thomas Edison  Electric Light Bulb
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
American Innovation
 American Inventors/Engineers
• Henry Ford  Production-Line
Manufacturing
• Willis Carrier  Air Conditioning
• William Shockley  Transistor
• Jack Kilby  Planer-Process
for Transistor Fabrication
• Theodore Maiman  Laser
• Edwin Land  Instant Photography
• Vinton Cerf  InterNet (TCP/IP)
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
20th Century Engineering Impact
1.
Electrification
11. Highways
2.
Automobile
12. Spacecraft
3.
Airplane
13. Internet
4.
Water Supply
& Distribution
14. Imaging
5.
Electronics
16. Health Technologies
6.
Radio and Television
7.
Agricultural Mechanization
17. Petroleum and
Petrochemical Technology
8.
Computers
18. Laser and Fiber Optics
9.
Telephone
19. Nuclear Technologies
10. Air Conditioning and
Refrigeration
15. Household Appliances
20. High-performance Materials
National Academy of Engineering http://www.greatachievements.org/ 2009
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Wright Bros. WindTunnel
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
All Done for Today
Electrify
the
USA
Edison
Jumbo Dynamo No. 1,”
1881
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Development of the IEEE
 IEEE = Institute of Electrical & Electronics
Engineers
 IEEE Facts as of 2009
• The World’s Largest Technical Professional
Association.
• Over 375,000 members in160 countries.
• Produces about 30% of the World’s Literature in
Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering.
• Active Portfolio of nearly 1,300 Standards
and Projects Under Development.
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Development of the IEEE
 1884 AIEE  American Institute of
Electrical Engineers
 1912 IRE  Institute of Radio Engineers
 1963  AIEE and IRE Merge to
become the IEEE
• 150,000 Members - 93% in the USA
 1993  IEEE Master Brand Developed
 2009  Celebrates125 Years of EE
• 375,000 plus Members - 57% in the USA
– A truly INTERNATIONAL Organization
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Gaspard Monge – DG Pioneer

Lived 72 Years
•
Born: 9 May 1746 in
Beaune, Bourgogne,
France
•
Died: 28 July 1818
in Paris, France

Showed Math
Brilliance Early in Life
•
Taught a Physics Course at Age 17
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Monge.html
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Gaspard Monge – cont.

Monge attended the Oratorian College
in Beaune
•
This school was intended for young
nobles and was run by priests. The
school offered instruction in a variety of
sources
– Religion
– Humanities
– Mathematics
– Natural Sciences.
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Monge.html
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Gaspard Monge – cont.2

After Completing His Studies in 1764,
Monge returned to Beaune where he
DREW UP A PLAN OF THE CITY
Officials at École Royale du Génie at
Mézières were impressed by Monge's
Plan for Beaune

•
1765, Monge was appointed to the École
Royale du Génie as a Draftsman
– Monge worked in his own time developing his
ideas of Geometry
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Monge.html
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Gaspard Monge – cont.3

While a Draftsman, Monge was asked
to draw up a fortification plan which
prevented an enemy from either
seeing or firing at a military position no
matter what the position of the enemy
•
Monge devised his own GRAPHICAL
METHOD to construct such a fortification
rather than use the complicated methods
then available
– Thus Began DESCRIPTIVE Geometry
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Monge.html
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Gaspard Monge – cont.4

In March 1794 Monge was appointed
École Centrale des Travaux Publics
•

Soon to become the École Polytechnique
At Polytechnique he was appointed as
an instructor in Descriptive Geometry
on 9 November 1794
•
Monge's lectures on infinitesimal
geometry were to form the basis of his
book Application de l'analyse à la
géométrie
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Monge.html
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Gaspard Monge – cont.5

Monge's Geometrie descriptive (1799)
was the result of his lectures in this
area at École Polytechnique.
•
He also introduced two planes of
projection at right angles to each other for
graphical description of solid objects.
– He generalized these techniques into a
system called Geometrie descriptive, which is
now known as ORTHOGRAPHIC
PROJECTION, the graphical method used in
modern mechanical drawing.
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt
Gaspard Monge – PostScript
 Monge was also VERY accomplished
Mathematician
• The basic philosophy behind Monge's approach to
Mathematics
– Geometrization of Mathematics based on:
 (a) The analogy or correspondence of operations in analysis
with geometric transformations
 (b) The genetic classification and parametrization of surfaces
through analysis of the movement of generating lines.
Engineering-10: Intro to Engineering
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Bruce Mayer, PE
BMayer@ChabotCollege.edu • ENGR-10_Lec-02_Engineering_History.ppt