Columbia University School of Engineering - Yearbook (New York, NY)

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The 1933 COLUMBIA ENGINEER THE 1933 COLUMBIA ENGINEER PROFESSOR THOMAS H. HARRINGTON Honorary Editor PAUL E. QUENEAU Editor in Chief RICHARD H. LUDEMAN Associate Editor J. WVALTER OLSTAD Business Maizager JUNIOR BOARD I ARTHUR J. GLOSTER WALTER E. SCIIEER HENRY F. SIEGER COLUDIBI.-Y ENGINEER ST.4FF Siegel' Gloster Lzzdemarz Queneau I-larritzgton Olrtad E D I T O' R I A L THE ENGINEER AND PUBLIC OFFICE HE YOUNG engineering graduate of today enters a very bewildering world- a world torn with dissension and in a state verging on chaos. The question that forces itself on the minds of everyone is Whither Mankind ? Are we witnessing the rapid decav and disintegration of our VVestern Civilization, or are we merely in a turmoil Caused by the inherent defects of our present system? If signs do not deceive us, the near future will bring vast social changes. Whether these changes will be of an evolutionary or of a revolutionary nature depends largely upon the rising generation. A The engineer, up to the present, has paid little attention to the realm of public affairs, but has preferred to center his energies upon his own particular profession. However, the troubled days of the future will require leadership by men of no mean calibre. The young engineer is well fitted to play an important role in the control and guidance of our common destiny. The theoretical and practical training of the engineer both tend to prepare and develop him for public office. The advantages of an engineering training, in regard to preparation for public service, have not yet become universally known or accepted. Probably an important reason for the present small number of engineers in public life is the comparative youth of engineering as a profession. It was not until the last century, with the advent of our present industrial civilization, that engineering Tfwenty-four

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The 1933 COLUJMBIA ENGINEER FIRST YEAR CLASS CHEMICAL ENGINEERS Arthur G, Appelboom lVIyron A. Coler Sidney A. Corren William F. Cothran Vincenzo S. de lVIarchi Charles B. de lVIaya Paul W. Garbo john C. Kalbach Norman Fulton Linn Gaetano C. lVIarcotrigiano John lVIorrisroe Lester B. Pope, Jr. A. Niles Schoening Charles Peter VVagner Albert Wasmuth Richard A. IfVood IVIINING ENGINEERS Arthur Beyer Robert D. Lilley Walter E. Scheer MECHANICAL ENGINEERS Frank E. Fowler William H. B. Geoghegan George B. Gross John Thomas Huels VVilf1'ed Kindermann Sidney Rosen Walter A. Scheel NIorris A. Shriro William blames Smith VVilliam A. Wilson METALLURGICAL ENGINEERS Charles F. Catlin, Ir. Sidney IVilson Poole CIVIL ENGINEERS E. Burleigh Boyd Nicholas V. Feodoroff Richard Hazen Tfwrnly-llzrre CIVIL ENGINEERS qcrmep Gerard Matthexv Heslin Theodore deFreyne Hobbs Frank Edgar Kerby John Elmer Lahti George VV. Langmus Theodore R. Lohr Thomas P, Quilty Vincent Ricigliano Mariano Sinacori George Henry Spath George S. Stringer Frederick C. Tonetti Dominick Frank Zuzzolo ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS -lohn Henry Bose Odin V. Carlson Charles Albert Castillo LI. Paul Frampton J. E. Greengard, Jr. Taft Mardirossian Julius H. Masheroni Emanuel Maxwell R. C. Norton Dale Pollack Val P. Rader John Arpad Rado Jerry Rosenfeld Alfred Skrobisch Dimitri Soussloff Fred Charles Spellman Rinaldo V. Taborelli Alford L. lVoods INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERS E. Everett Auer Philip E. Fisher Arthur George llditchel Richard VV. YVal:h Arthur C. IVilliams Arthur S. M. VVood

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The 1933 COLUZVIBIA ENGINEER assumed a position of paramount importance. For centuries law, and to a lesser degree the army and business, have been the professions that have provided the nations of the world with public servants. As the science of engineering becomes more mature, its advantages are becoming more apparent. Undoubtedly a steadily increas- ing number of the men in public life will have had the benefits inherent in an engi- neering education. The qualities that should be possessed by men in public life -are many and varied. The more important ones are honesty, intelligence, courage, and leadership. This quadrumvirate of virtues is unfortunately rarely concentrated in one individual. Any training that will help develop these qualities in the youth of the nation is the type of training that will produce distinguished citizens. Honesty is a characteristic which must be possessed by those aspiring to success in the engineering field. The forces of nature obey exact and unyielding laws which cannot be deceived or disregarded. Only by strict and rigid compliance with these laws can the engineer expect to be successful. Honesty in one's work tends to build an honest mind and to insure personal integrity. This requirement of intellectual honesty in the engineering profession fulfills one of the obligations of the citizen in public office. lt is highly questionable whether certain other professions tend, in like degree, to develop that vital and essential virtue-honesty. Without intelligence, the public servant is very severely handicapped. The com- plexity and difficulty of the many problems confronting men in public life require a high grade of intelligence in order that these problems may be successfully solved. An alert mind and clear, reasoning powers are of more than ordinary importance. Engineering being a highly advanced science, satisfactory application of its many phases exacts clear thought and a keen mind. Engineering tends to train the mind of man so that it can tackle and solve very involved problems, and induces logical mental processes. Courage, in its many forms, is a quality that comparatively few possess. It is however a virtue that is not necessarily ingrained in the individual, but is a quality that may be developed. The strains and temptations of high ofhce demand a tre- mendous amount of courage from those in public life. Engineering helps to develop courage in that the members of the profession must stand irrevocably by their own decisions, -and must also undertake vast projects in the face of seemingly insuperable odds. It seems very evident that one of the main underlying reasons for the present low state of World affairs, is the surprising and fatal lack of honesty of manv of those in positions of power and responsibility. The moral Courage that is one of the primary qualities of the true engineer, would undoubtedly prove to be an extremelv valuable asset. The importance of leadership ability to men in public life cannot be overesti- mated. The ability to handle men and to obtain their cooperation is of vital im- portance, since if leadership is lacking, the efforts of those in command for the public good may come to naught. A capacity for handling men is one of the characteristics of the successful engineer. From the very nature of his work, the engineer comes into intimate contact with the many strata of our social order, and he also has to adapt himself to widely varying conditions. A leader should be able to speak before large audiences and to obtain their support by the power of his oratory. Unfor- tunately, the engineer has little opportunity to obtain experience in public speaking, but this lack should be remedied whenever the opportunity presents itself. Qur present civilization, in its confused and disheartening condition, will have to depend more and more upon public officials to cordinate and rebuild our present system. There is no class of men more eminently fitted for this reconstruction than the modern engineers. As the young engineers of today, it is to be hoped that we will develop into the leaders of tomorrow. P. E. Q' Tacnlfy-fivzv