Edwin James Houston (July 9, 1847 – March 1, 1914) was an American author, electrical engineer, academic, businessman, and inventor.

Early life

Houston was born July 9, 1847, to John Mason and Mary (Lamour) Houston in

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in Northern Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Washington, D.C., D.C. The city's population of 159,467 at the 2020 ...

. He graduated from

Central High School of Philadelphia Central High School is a public high school in the Logan, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Logan"." Philadelphia City Planning Commission. May 2002. 1 (document page 3). Retrieved on August 2, 2011. "The neighborhood is generally defined as including ...

(a degree-granting institution rather than an ordinary high school) in 1864. He received both his Bachelor of Arts and master's degree from the same Central High School.

Career

Houston then became a professor of

civil engineering Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...

at Central High School for a short period before holding its chair of Natural Philosophy and Physical Geography. While teaching physics at Central High School in Philadelphia, he helped design an arc light generator with his former student colleague

Elihu Thomson Elihu Thomson (March 29, 1853 – March 13, 1937) was an English-American engineer and inventor who was instrumental in the founding of major electricity, electrical companies in the United States, the United Kingdom and France. Early life He ...

. Together, they created the

Thomson-Houston Electric Company The Thomson-Houston Electric Company was a manufacturing company that was one of the precursors of General Electric. History The company began as the American Electric Company, founded by Elihu Thomson and Edwin Houston. In 1882, Charles Al ...

in 1882 which soon after moved to

Lynn, Massachusetts Lynn is the eighth-largest List of municipalities in Massachusetts, municipality in Massachusetts, United States, and the largest city in Essex County, Massachusetts, Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line ...

. Elihu Thomson Papers at the American Philosophical Society He served as chief electrician of Philadelphia's International Electrical Exhibition in 1884. In 1892, Thomson-Houston merged with the

Edison General Electric Company Thomas Alva Edison (February11, 1847October18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, ...

to form

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) was an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1892, incorporated in the New York (state), state of New York and headquartered in Boston. Over the year ...

, with management from Thomson-Houston largely running the new company. In 1894, Houston formed a consulting firm in electrical engineering with

Arthur Kennelly Arthur Edwin Kennelly (December 17, 1861 – June 18, 1939) was an American electrical engineer and mathematician. Biography Kennelly was born December 17, 1861, in Colaba, in Bombay Presidency, British India, and was educated at University Co ...

. He and Kennelly had also jointly published a series called "Primers of Electricity" in 1884. He also served as emeritus professor of physics at 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 ...

and professor of physics at the Medico-Chirurgical College. Houston was twice president 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 Inst ...

(1893–1895). He was a member of the United States Electrical Commission, the

American Institute of Mining Engineers The American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME) is a professional association for mining and metallurgy, with over 145,000 members. The association was founded in 1871 by 22 mining engineers in Wilkes-Barre, Penns ...

, the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...

and many others. He also authored books for a series called ''The Wonder Books of Science''.Edwin James Houston
''The Wonder Book of Magnetism''
Frederick A. Stokes Company (1908)

Awards and honors

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

awarded him an honorary doctoral degree.

Personal life

He died from heart failure in Philadelphia on March 1, 1914.

Selected publications

Books

*'' Elements of Physical Geology.'' Philadelphia: Eldredge & Brother, 1878, 1901, and 1904. * ''Intermediate Lessons in Natural Philosophy'' Philadelphia: Eldredge & Brother, 1881.
''Elements of Chemistry: for the use of Schools, Academies, and Colleges''
Philadelphia: Eldredge & Brother, 1883 and 1898. *''A Short Course in Chemistry.'' Philadelphia: Eldridge & Brother, 1884. *
Primers of Forestry
'' Philadelphia: Edwin J. Houston, 1891.
''Rain Produced At Will''
Chicago: Edwin J. Houston, 1891.
''Electrical Measurements and Other Advanced Primers of Electricity''
New York: The W. J. Johnston Company, Limited, 1893. * ''The Electric Transmission of Intelligence: and Other Advanced Primers of Electricity'' New York: The W. J. Johnston Company, Limited, 1893. *
Outlines of Forestry; Or, The Elementary Principles Underlying the Science of Forestry
'' Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1893. * ''Electricity One Hundred Years Ago and Today''. New York: The W. J. Johnston Company, Ltd., 1894. *
A Dictionary of Electrical Words, Terms and Phrases
'' New York: P. F. Collier, 1894. * ''Alternating Electric Currents'' with Arthur E. Kennelley. New York: The W. J. Johnston Company, 1895. * ''Electrical Engineering Leaflets: Advanced Grade'' with Arthur E. Kennelley. New York: The Electrical Engineer, 1895. * ''Electrical Engineering Leaflets: Intermediate Grade'' with Arthur E. Kennelley. New York: The Electrical Engineer, 1895. * ''Electric Heating'' with Arthur E. Kennelley. New York: The W. J. Johnston Company, 1895. *
Elements of Physical Geography: For the Use of Schools, Academies, and Colleges
'. Philadelphia: Eldredge & Brother, 1895.
''Electric Arc Lighting''
with Arthur E. Kennelley. New York: The W. J. Johnston Company, 1896.
''Electricity in Electro-Therapeutics''
with Arthur E. Kennelley. New York: McGraw Publishing Co., 1896, 1897, 1898, 1903, and 1906. * ''Electric Incandescent Lighting'' with Arthur E. Kennelley. New York: The W. J. Johnston Company, 1896. * ''The Electric Motor and the Transmission Power'' with Arthur E. Kennelley. New York: The W. J. Johnston Company, 1896. * ''Electric Street Railways'' with Arthur E. Kennelley. New York: The W. J. Johnston Company, 1896. * ''Electro-dynamic Machinery for Continuous Currents'' with Arthur E. Kennelley. New York: The W. J. Johnston Company, 1896. *
Algebra Made Easy: Being a Clear Explanation of the Mathematical Formulae Found in Prof. Thompson's Dynamo-electric Machinery and Polyphase Electric Currents
with Arthur E. Kennelley.'' New York: American Technical Book Company, 1897. *
Magnetism
with Arthur E. Kennelley.'' New York:

McGraw Publishing Company McGraw Hill is an American education science company that provides educational content, software, and services for students and educators across various levels—from K-12 to higher education and professional settings. They produce textbooks, ...

, 1897 and 1906. *
The Elements of Natural Philosophy
'' Philadelphia, Eldridge & Brother, 1897. *'' The Electric Telephone'' with Arthur E. Kennelley''.'' New York: McGraw Publishing Company, 1897, 1902, and 1906.
''Electricity Made Easy: by Simple Language and Copious Illustration''
with Arthur E. Kennelley. New York: American Technical Book Company, 1898.
''Interpretation of Mathematical Formulæ''
with Arthur E. Kennelley. New York: McGraw Publishing Co., 1898. *
Recent Types of Dynamo-electric Machinery: A Complete Guide for the Electrician, Engineer, Student and Professor
with Arthur Edwin Kennelly.'' New York: P. F. Collier & Son, 1902. *
Incandescent Lighting
' with Arthur E. Kennelley. New York: The W. J. Johnston Company, 1896. *
Electric Telegraphy
' with Arthur E. Kennelley. New York: McGraw Publishing Co., 1897 and 1906. *''Pocket Electrical Dictionary.'' London: Swan Sonnenschein and Co., 1898.
''Electricity and Magnetism: Being a Series of Advanced Primers''
New York: McGraw Publishing Co., 1899. * ''Electric Arc Lighting'' with Arthur E. Kennelley. New York: Electrical World & Engineer, 1902.
''Electricity in Everyday Life in 3 volumes''
vol. 3. New York: P. F. Collier & Son, 1905. *
The Search for the North Pole
'' (North Pole Series) Chicago: The J. C. Winston Co., 1907. *''The Discovery of the North Pole.'' (North Pole Series) Chicago: The J. C. Winston Co., 1907. *''Cast Away at the North Pole.'' (North Pole Series) Chicago: The J. C. Winston Co., 1907. *
Wrecked on a Coral Island
'' Philadelphia:The Griffith & Rowland Press, 1908. *
Five Months on a Derelict; or, Adventures on a Floating Wreck in the Pacific
'. Philadelphia: The Griffith & Rowland Press, 1908. *
In Captivity in the Pacific
'' Philadelphia:The Griffith & Rowland Press, 1909. *
At School in the Cannibal Islands
'. Philadelphia: The Griffith & Rowland Press, 1909. * ''The Elements of Physics'' with Alfred Newlin Seal. New York: Hinds, Noble & Eldredge, 1912. *
The Elements of Physical Geography
'. New York: Hinds, Noble & Eldredge, 1916.

Children's books

*''Houston's Outlines of Natural Philosophy.'' Philadelphia: Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfinger, 1878. *''Houston's Easy Lessons in Natural Philosophy.'' Philadelphia: Eldredge and Brother, 1879. * ''The Boy Geologist: at School and in Camp''''. Philadelphia:

Henry Altemus Company The Henry Altemus Company was a publishing company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for almost a century, from 1842 to 1936. History The firm started as a bookbindery. In 1863, Altemus was awarded a patent for a particular type of binding f ...

, 1907.'' *'' The Boy Electrician, or The Secret Society of the Jolly Philosophers''. Philadelphia; London, J. B. Lippincott, 1907''.''
''The Wonder Book of Volcanoes and Earthquakes''
New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1907''.'' * ''The Wonder Book of the Atmosphere''''.'' New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1907''.'' *''The Wonder Book of the Light. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company,'' 1908.
''The Wonder Book of the Magnetism''
New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1908. *A Chip of the Old Block; or, At the Bottom of the Ladder (The Young Mineralogist Series). Philadelphia: The Griffith & Rowland Press, 1910. *The Land of Drought; or, Across the Great American Desert. (The Young Mineralogist Series) Philadelphia: The Griffith & Rowland Press,1910. *''The Jaws of Death; or, In and Around the Cañons of the Colorado.'' (The Young Mineralogist Series) Philadelphia: The Griffith & Rowland Press, 1911. *''The Yellow Magnet; or, Attracted by Gold''. (The Young Mineralogist Series) Philadelphia: The Griffith & Rowland Press, 1911 *''Once a Volcano; or, Adventures Among the Extinct Volcanoes of the United States.'' (The Young Mineralogist Series) Philadelphia: The Griffith & Rowland Press, 1912 *
The Land of Ice and Snow or, Adventures in Alaska
'' (The Young Mineralogist Series) Philadelphia: The Griffith & Rowland Press, 1912. *
Our Boy Scouts in Camp
'. Philadelphia: D. McKay, 1912.

Journal articles

* "Glimpses of the international electrical exhibition", ''

Journal of 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 statesman Benjamin Franklin. It houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memoria ...

, v''ol. 118, no. 6 (December 1884): 449–459. *
On Some Early Forms of Electric Furnaces: No. 4. Johnson's Electric Furnace
. ''

,'' vol. 125, no. 4 (April 1888): 300-305. * "The physiological effects of alternating currents of high frequency", ''

,'' vol. 134, no. 1 (1892): 71–74 * "Some additional notes on the graphic representation or magnetic fields", ''

,'' vol. 134, no. 3 (1892): 240–244. * "Cerebral Radiation", ''

'', vol. 133, no. 6 (1892): 488–497. * "Graphic representation or the magnetic field", ''

'', vol. 134, no. 1 (1892) 75–86 * "Some curiosities in early electroth-therapeutics", ''

'', vol. 134, no. 5 (1892): 402–409. * "The international electrical congress and world's fair, of 1893". ''

Transactions of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers Transaction or transactional may refer to: Commerce *Financial transaction, an agreement, communication, or movement carried out between a buyer and a seller to exchange an asset for payment *Debits and credits in a Double-entry bookkeeping syst ...

'', vol. 10, (1893): 464–483. * "A Plea for the Study of Elementary Forestry in the Lower Schools". ''

,'' vol. 137, no. 2 (1894): 107–117. * "Resonance in Alternating Current Lines" with A. E. Kennelly. ''

'', vol. 12, (1895): 133-157. *
The Rontgen Rays
with A. E. Kennelly. ''

,'' vol. 141, no. 4, (April 1896): 241-278. * “Franklin as a Man of Science and an Inventor,” ''

,'' vol. 161 (1906): 241–316, 321–383.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Houston, Edwin J. 1847 births 1914 deaths American educators American business writers American chief executives American civil engineers American electrical engineers American engineering writers American inventors Businesspeople from Alexandria, Virginia Businesspeople from Pennsylvania Engineers from Virginia General Electric people 19th-century American businesspeople Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia) 19th-century American writers 20th-century American writers American non-fiction children's writers American children's writers 19th-century American novelists 20th-century American novelists Members of the American Philosophical Society