Philip Sporn (November 25, 1896 in
Folotwin, Austria – January 23, 1978 in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
) was an
Austrian electrical engineer known for his work as the president and chief executive officer of the
American Gas and Electric Company
American Electric Power (AEP), (railcar reporting mark: AEPX) is a major investor-owned electric utility in the United States, delivering electricity to more than five million customers in 11 states.
AEP ranks among the nation's largest gen ...
. He received the
IEEE Edison Medal
The IEEE Edison Medal is presented by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) "for a career of meritorious achievement in electrical science, electrical engineering, or the electrical arts." It is the oldest medal in this fi ...
for "contributions to the art of economical and dependable power generation and transmission".
Sporn received his E.E. degree from
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
in 1917, and worked for
Consumers Power Company
Consumers Energy is an investor owned utility that provides natural gas and electricity to 6.7 million of Michigan's 10 million residents. It serves customers in all 68 of the state's Lower Peninsula counties. It is the primary subsidiary of CM ...
in
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
before joining
American Electric Power
American Electric Power (AEP), (railcar reporting mark: AEPX) is a major investor-owned electric utility in the United States, delivering electricity to more than five million customers in 11 states.
AEP ranks among the nation's largest g ...
, rising through the ranks to become Chief Electric Engineer, and then President in 1947. He retired in 1961, but remained a director until 1968. 1962 he became member of the
National Academy of Sciences.
During his tenure are Chief Engineer, then President, the company achieved a number of innovations, including large-sized generating units, supercritical-pressure boilers, natural-draft cooling towers, tall stacks, and extra-high-voltage transmission and lightning protection.
Sporn died of an unexpected heart attack on January 23, 1978.
He was named by
Harvard Business School as one of the "Great American Business Leaders of the 20th Century."
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sporn, Philip
1896 births
1978 deaths
Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni
IEEE Edison Medal recipients
ASME Medal recipients
20th-century American engineers