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

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The 1934 COLUMBIA ENGINEER CHEMICAL ENGINEERS AND FACULTY Wasmiztlz, Linn, Stetlaetcrzrs, Wilhelm, Davis, Kollmcli, Wt7lLlll61', Scott, Read, Ridel, Kahan, Artese, McKee, Anev-', Berwzozzi, Bucci, Miller, Gloster, Coler, Swan, Vesely, Haedricli, Ditty-iclz, Bloom, Butler, Valle-main, llliller, lll0l'7'1'.S'l'0E, Dla1'cot1'igia11o, Pope Co1'1'en, Garbo, Banclzero, Bertie-Allen, de Marold, Appleboom, Mo-rgon, Jacksoiz, Hixsoiz, I7Vorle, Rogers, Cothran. .y Claus Babu LINCOLN T. VVORK The mintage of wisdom is to know that rest is rust, and that real life is in love, lorzglirezj, cmd zoork.-Elbert Hiibbard. NE or THE FIRST issues of this senior annual carried a cartoon entitled, The Seven Ages of an Engineerfl Beginning with the child and' his technical toys, it showed the happy days at college, the hard work of engineering school, the iirst job with pick and shovel. advancement to executive rank, and a contented old age. It was in effect the growth curve of a lite and it presented each stage as a different environment. The problems of transition between the stages in the life of any engineer are not primarily of a technical nature, but in a broad sense they involve personality, that quality of being which results from the harmonious balance of character, health, and knowledge. The cle- velopment of personality is a theme upon which many of our leaders lay the greatest stress. By that token it is worthy of special consideration in the building of a life. Through the work of Professor Rautenstrauch and his colleagues, many in this graduating class are familiar with the growth curves of industries. Dr. Red- man of the Bakelite Corporation has studied the earlier portions of such curves as they relate to the development of a process. The analogy to human lite is interesting. An industrial process begins with an idea. At that point no investment has been made. If the idea is impressive, a few preliminary ex- periments are carried out. Gradually the investment in the idea growsg and as it shows promise more extensive investment is made. Faith in the Tlzirty-eight

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The 1934 COLUMBIA ENGINEER thins CHARLES E. LUCKE DMISSION TO ,ax PROFESSION necessarily imposes obligations, and acceptance of the responsibilities is always implied, though in some cases directly ex- pressed in part, as, for example, when the physician publicly subscribes to the oath of Hippocrates. Be the profession what it may, its practice makes two different types of demands on its representative, common to all in prin- ciple, but appropriately different in detail: that of professional competence, and that of ethical conduct in its application. The engineer in the practice of his profession renders personal service based on special knowledge in one of the fields of useful application of its underlying sciences, and his competence is measured by the breadth and depth of this special knowledge at any one time in his career. This is axiom- atic, and it follows that ambition and individual capacity will combine to produce in some men that mastery which, when acknowledged by his fellow engineers, makes him an authority in his specialty. This is the demand for professional competence imposed by engineering on its people. It is inherent in the practice of enginering, the objective of which is always utility, that the engineer have relations with other men, and that these relations be honorable ones, This is the ethical demand. There are rela- tions with other engineers professionally competing or cooperating, with clients, employers or superiors for whom the service is being rendered directly, with subordinates, assistants, juniors, professional and non-profes- sional, whose contributions are necessary to the service. In addition there is always a relation with the general public, usually indirect, but none the less real, because utility requires that the product of the engineering effort be a public asset. The engineering profession expects but does not require of its recruits a formal expressed acknowledgment of its ideals of professional competence CC01ZfI71,lL6li on page 592 INTERNAL COIWBUSTION ENGINE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING L.4BOR.f1TORY T11 irlg'-sCt'c'1z

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The 1934 COLUJWBIA ENGINEER ultimate value of the idea becomes more iirmly rooted as obstacles are over- come in the early work. Great is the faith required to induce the heavier expenditures which are finally needed to establish the process on an industrial basis. In due course of time the first production begins. The early sales, although perhaps not prohtable, gradually change the direction of the indebt- edness curve. As production goes into greater and greater volume, and is thus more eeconomically effected, this development account is taken out of the red. If the process has been well studied and if it is well adapted to its time, it should have a productive and prosperous life. The devotion of the earlier stages of human life to education is in effect an investment of this type. just as the great development projects of industry require a heavy investment of time and money before they reach the productive stage, so the life that is to be most fruitful must be developed broadly and comprehensively. It is a challenge to any instructor to make an effective contribution to such development. On Alumni Day this year, Presi- dent Butler set forth in a living picture examples of those on the staff who have, through the force of their personalities, meant so much in the life of the University. Theirs has been a powerful influence in the building of per- sonality in others. Growth does not end with g'raduation. If it did, the investment would be a heavy loss. New values become dominant when an industrial process goes into production. In the same manner at the time of graduation, which may be considered the point where economic return begins, the problems of the engineer change in nature to meet his new environment. Since human life covers much more than purely economic values, it would be folly to predict the character of a graduate's growth curve. Each one will set it to units of his own choosing-units which to him represent the real values. The rapidity with which that curve rises will depend entirely upon how effectively the many phases of life are coordinated to function harmoniously in the direction chosen. The very title of former President VVoodrow W'ilson's book, Whe1i a Man Comes to Himself, implies the same thing, and its contents reveal in how many diverse ways this goal may be attained. cC07Lff7l1lEd on page 595 ROTARY FILTER IN CHEQUICJI. ENGI.VEERl.VG LABORATORY Tl11'r1y-:zine