Arthur Newell Talbot (October 21, 1857 – April 3, 1942) was an American

civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing i ...

. He made many contributions to several engineering fields including structures, sewage management, and education. He is considered to be a pioneer in the field of

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete, also called ferroconcrete or ferro-concrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having higher tensile strength or ...

Biography

Early life and education

Talbot was born on October 21, 1857, at Cortland, Illinois. His elementary education was in Cortland, and he attended high school in nearby

Sycamore Sycamore is a name which has been applied to several types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms. The name derives from the Ancient Greek () meaning . Species of otherwise unrelated trees known as sycamore: * ''Acer pseudoplatanus'', a ...

. After graduating from high school, he taught in a country school for two years. He enrolled at Illinois Industrial University (now the

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...

) in 1877 to study civil engineering. He was a brilliant student and also participated in many extracurricular activities. He was secretary, vice president and president of the Philomathean Literary Society, associate editor of the Illini delegate to the Interstate Oratorical Association, class essayist, a leading officer in the student government, and an officer in the Cadet Corps. He graduated from the university in 1881.

Career

After graduation, Talbot headed west and did railroad construction and maintenance in

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Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

, and

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

. In September 1885, he returned to the University of Illinois as an assistant professor of engineering and mathematics. He taught a wide range of subjects, which at different times included mathematics, surveying, engineering drawing, contracts and specifications, roads and pavements, railroad engineering, mechanics and materials, hydraulics, tunneling and explosives, and water supply and sewerage. In 1890, he was named Professor of Municipal and Sanitary Engineering in charge of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. Around this time, engineering schools began expanding rapidly, and engineering materials and mechanics began to attract his attention even more than sanitary engineering. Without ever changing his title, the emphasis of his work continued to be placed on mechanics and materials. In 1926, he retired and was named Professor of Municipal and Sanitary Engineering, Emeritus.

Personal life

Talbot married Virginia Mann Hammet in Camargo, Illinois, on June 7, 1886. They had 4 children together. She died on December 4, 1919.

Awards & recognitions

;Honorary Doctorates *Doctor of Science, University of Pennsylvania, 1915 *Doctor of Engineering,

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, 1916 *Doctor of Laws, University of Illinois, 1931 ;Medals * George Henderson Medal from the

Franklin Institute The Franklin Institute is a science museum and a center of science education and research in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is named after the American scientist and wikt:statesman, statesman Benjamin Franklin. It houses the Benjamin Franklin ...

, 1931 *

John Fritz Medal The John Fritz Medal has been awarded annually since 1902 by the American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES) for "outstanding scientific or industrial achievements". The medal was created for the 80th birthday of John Fritz, who lived bet ...

, 1937

References

External links

* Prepared & presented six months after his eightieth birthday. {{DEFAULTSORT:Talbot, Arthur Newell 1857 births 1942 deaths American civil engineers University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty Illinois Industrial University alumni People from Cortland, Illinois John Fritz Medal recipients Engineers from Illinois