Francis Parkman Coffin (April 5, 1880 – August 19, 1956) was an American electrical engineering pioneer. He was a leader in research and development for the

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...

Corporation.

Early life and education

Coffin was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, to Charles Pratt Coffin and Grace Parkman, daughter of historian

Francis Parkman Francis Parkman Jr. (September 16, 1823 – November 8, 1893) was an American historian, best known as author of '' The Oregon Trail: Sketches of Prairie and Rocky-Mountain Life'' and his monumental seven-volume '' France and England in North Am ...

. His father was first cousin of

co-founder Charles Coffin. He was educated at the St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, and graduated from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

in 1902.

Career

Coffin joined General Electric shortly after graduation. He worked at GE for the duration of his career, first in the testing department and then in the Research Laboratory. For several years, he worked on the pioneer development of the iron mercury arc rectifier. Later, he worked on methods of generating power from coal more efficiently, and co-authored a book on the subject, ''Pulverized coal systems in America''. He also conducted experimental studies of the properties and limitations of various types of steel for use in mercury boilers and steam turbines at high pressures and temperatures."LOW-PRESSURE STEAM-GENERATOR". "Mercury Rectifyer". Coffin was an active conservationist, and became an authority on the studies of botany, geology, and anthropology. He was a member of the

American Institute of Electrical Engineers The American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) was a United States-based organization of electrical engineers that existed from 1884 through 1962. On January 1, 1963, it merged with the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) to form the Insti ...

. He died on August 19, 1956, in

Schenectady, New York Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...

, at age 76.

Early life and education

Career

References

See also