Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn - Polywog Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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.. . , ... - , .. ..,,. .., i , .....,.,, . , i . P 0 LY xxx CJ En . f ' - f . , lf . , ff -ff 'ff' ,ff Q- ,.,f.,ff,.,ff, .,,..,,ff ,,,,,,, 'ff' f , wwf ,, ' ,, ff., ,f,.,,,f., , ,,,,.,f ,.,, ,f...,f,,,,ff..,,,y..,,,,, ,,... an ,,,,,,,.,. 1 ,.,, m .,,, W .,,,, ,z ,.f,,.,,,.,,,f,,.,f, ,,.,f.,.,,M,.,,,,,f,..m,.,,,Q f,.,.f,, .,,. 1 f .,,, r. Samuel Sheldon HIC career of Dr. Samuel Sheldon is the life of one of the pioneers in the electrical engineer- ing science and of one of the foremost educators of the country. The name of Dr. Sheldon is associated with all the important movements that formed the very base of a science and in- dustry that is revolutionizing the lives and destinies of the civilized races. So accustomed are the people of to-day to the comforts and certainty of the electrical appliances that little thought is given to the fact that the electrical science is one of a few decades in age. These masterpieces of the human mind were conceived only as the result of such devotion and sacrihce as that which marked the noble life of Dr. Samuel Sheldon. During the time that Dr. Sheldon was at the Polytechnic Institute he left his mark upon the hundreds of students who were fortunate in having him as professor. The mark he left is embodied in the greatest of human attributes, personality. This was his sign of greeting and the word of parting. He strove for the ennobling of the person, of the intellect, of the mind. His own brilliancy was reflected in those with whom he came in contact as professional associate or as professor, and as both he attained the highest rank that personal tribute or professional honor can bestow. Dr. Sheldon was born of New England stock at Middlebury, Vermont, on March 8, 1862. Here he spent his youth, and after graduation from Middlebury College he continued studying and in 1886 received his Master's Degree. He then studied at the University of Wurzburg, Germany, and during his first year there was selected to assist Prof. Kohlrausch to determine S ix

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I. .... ,Z ,,,, , , , , 7 7 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,-, , , ,,,,,,,,,, .,.,.,,,., ,f,,, , ,.,,, ,,,, , ,,., 1 ,,,,ff,,f,,.,,,,,,f,,,,,,,,,,f,,,,,.,,,,,,,,,,,f,,,,W,,, 1, 7 W Hz: xc. ., ., ,,,, ,. ,, , ,, 1 , X WWW nz: 'f lo QW M aw, ,J f , , ,, .45 , W, g , af f f f v '4m'f4w Z1 L af f . ...., 1,4 Why! ,WZ gg f 'M 4 wwf' fffffv wffff ffwff ,nw wwfwflfffffffffffff,mfffffwfuffffffffvfwfnmn,ffzffffffffmvfffffffffvffwm, wf ffffwfffffffcffffff ,,,fwff'f,ffffffff1 4 f' , , - - '7 ? ,.,2f,f,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,f ,,W,,,,Q,,y,,m,ff,,-fa,W,Wmf,M,,W,,,,MWw,r,v.m:swam f,f,x..,,f.. ,WH,,,..,,,,.,,f,.x,,,,,,..,f..,,,,f,f.., , , the value of the ohm as the electrical unit of resistance. Upon graduating as a Doctor of Philosophy he returned to America where he conducted research work at Harvard. In 1889 Dr. Sheldon came to the Polytechnic, was awarded full professorship in Physics and Electrical Engineering, and remained the head of these departments until his death. ln IQIKJ the Thomas Potts Professorship was established in Physics through the gifts of one of Dr. Sheldonfs early pupils-an indication of the great esteem in which Dr. Sheldon was held by the founder. While at the Polytechnic, Dr. Sheldon was one of the foremost factors in the building up of the Institute, which through his efforts was raised to the status of one of the most advanced engineering institutions in the country. He wrote some of the first textbooks in electrical engineering, and the value of these texts is shown by their extensive use in this country and in Europe. He later wrote texts on alternating current machines, traction, transmission engineering, and laboratory physics, all of which are widely used by engineering institutions. In IQO6 Dr. Sheldon was elected President of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the Profession. His international reputation as an engineer is shown by his selection as expert for the Swiss Department of Justice, Secretary of the International Electrical Congress and Director of the United Engineering Societies. The life ofDr. Sheldon has been throughout one of service and development. The foundation he laid for the greatest science known to man is of a grandeur that must not be marred by the death of its builder. It is therefore natural that the host of friends which Dr. Sheldon created during his lifetime should be determined to do all in their power to perpetuate his name, and continue the work in the field in which he was a pioneer. Wiith this in view the Polytechnic Institute will soon have an endowed professorship, known as the Samuel Sheldon Professorship of Electrical Engineering. Seven