History Of The Engineering Society of York 
York County, since its founding,
in 1741, has been the home of countless men and women with practical ideas and
faith in the progress of our nation. Native sons recall with pride that their
forebears were patriots, statesmen, inventors, farmers and craftsmen.
Succeeding generations, having
passed on this rich heritage, particularly since the beginning of the twentieth
century, give testimony that our South Central Pennsylvania area abounds with
persons of superior talents, skills and an intellectual fervor that make for a
dynamic America.
The essayist urges "build a better
mousetrap." A technically educated man more acutely rationalizes his vocational
objectives. These stem from a love of country and an urge for the betterment of
living standards for all on earth.
It followed as a natural
consequence that, with a long and distinguished history of achievement, the
engineering profession in this area should band together because of mutual
interests. To the engineer, the challenge represented a further step in wider
exploration of man's boundless quest for knowledge.
In the late. fall of 1909, three
forward thinking Yorkers; H. A. Delano, W. L. Craver and Howard Fink considered
organizing a technical society "to exchange thoughts and ideas on technical
articles."
Perhaps they were motivated by the
successes of senior, and still existing engineering societies, the first in St.
Louis, Philadelphia- 1877, and Western Pennsylvania-1880.
That the York group's objectives
immediately were broadened is in evidence from their Constitution and By-Laws,
ratified March 31, 1910, after an organization meeting, in the Manufacturers'
Association, six days earlier, March 25:
to
advance engineering knowledge and practice and to maintain a high standard of
professional procedure in all respects..."
Having been joined in January of
the founding year by others with a mutuality of interest... Jno. E. Graybill,
Charles Exstrand, E. S. Hippey, Charles H. Ehrenfeld, W. B. Rawson and Edward
Leber... the charter members had a nucleus for a substantial organization.
Although The Society's beginning
was hardly spectacular, and early years posed the usual financial difficulties
and of recruiting members, there was an integrity of purpose that nurtured the
young organization. Thus, The Society has increased in stature over 50
years as one of the community's outstanding institutions.
On April 12, 1910, Dr. Ehrenfeld,
a distinguished educator, became the first of a signal group comprising The
Society's presidents dedicated to serving its ideals and members. Dr.
Ebrenfeld's son, W. S. Ehrenfeld, was one to enjoy this honor, twenty-nine
years later. Father - son presidents also are Jacob L. Mueller (1945), and John
H. Mueller (1953).(Presidents' names appear at the conclusion of this report.)
Other "first" officers and
committee members included: Messrs. Leber, vice president; Delano, secretary
and Fink, treasurer. House Committee: Messrs. Craver, Graybill and Robert A.
Stair; Entertainment: Mr, Exstrand, Harold Syversten, Francis Stackhouse;
Library: L. S. Morse, W. J. Fisher, W. E. Wilkinson; New Membership: Horace
Wiest, J. H, Longnecker, H. C. Moran; Excursion: Francis Farquhar, C. H. Bear,
Fred Smart.
Surviving first-year committee
members are Messrs. Robert Stair, Fisher, Farquhar. Also in 1960, additional,
surviving early members are J. William Stair, Gabriel Voss and Charles L.
Berger, Mr. Berger's faithful services as secretary for many years are honored
by all who know him.
To the Uninformed layman, the
engineer, more frequently than not, represents a thinker whose work prescribes
detachment from the everyday world about him; likely to be somewhat inhibited.
Score a zero! The Uninformed does not know of The Society's social festivities
and meetings.
On August 29, 1910, The Society's
charter and incorporation papers were given court approval. The following
October 22d marked its members' first excursion to the former McCall's Ferry
Power Plant. On December 13, the first banquet was sponsored (see
illustrations).
From this beginning, through the
Fiftieth Anniversary Banquet, The Society's social calendar precludes a
possibility of its becoming an organization of professorial, stuffed shirts.
There were oyster bakes, picnics, ffallowe'en parties, St. Patrick's Day
socials (even for temporary Irishmen). A continuing series of annual banquets
is traditional. Addresses may be made. by governors of the Commonwealth; high
ranking Army and Navy officers; scientists, senators, business leaders and
nationally prominent engineers.
In the early days, 1914 to be
specific, one social event was marked by tile presentation to Mr. Voss of a
cast iron medal measuring a foot in diameter. Sculptor? Unknown!
In the interest of providing
improved facilities for its members, The Society occupied its first home on
January 1, 1911. Headquarters that was to continue for twenty-nine years became
established in rooms on the third floor of the Polack Building, 29 East Market
Street.
Although no effort has been made
to de-emphasize the importance of social contact among members and outsiders,
The Society has been steadfast in its original purpose to further the
profession of engineering.
Within The Society's rooms have
been literally hundreds of lectures of professional importance. Members and
prominent national scientists alike provided a wealth of talent. The early days
marked utilization of lantern slides as a visual aid. Later, there came movie
films, silent, then sound; electronic devices and amplifiers; radio and
television.
On some occasions, The Society's
meetings required the use of public auditoriums for popular lectures and
demonstrations. One, in 1928, was an amazing discourse on atomic energy, a
phenomenon whose practical application was to strike terror in the hearts of
mankind, some seventeen years later. The speaker: Mr. Farquhar.
The Society's archives; a
technical library, founded in 1915; minutes of its meetings, attest that
engineering progress virtually was flashing across five decades. Perhaps even
only a cursory glance was accorded these milestones by the practicing engineer.
With an innate sophistication for technological change, he was likely to have
been preoccupied with tomorrow's opportunity for serving his fellow man.
An observer engaged in a research
of The Society's half-century of progress is impressed not only with its
attainment of a high degree of professional prestige, but also is made aware of
its role of community leadership. Chronologically, there are three among many
accomplishments that stand out:
-
THE PHINEAS DAVIS MEMORIAL
-
THE SOCIETY'S PERMANENT HEADQUARTERS
-
THE EDGAR P. KABLE SCHOLARSHIP FUND
During the (1916) administration of George Jessop, members
of The Society discussed a memorial to Phineas Davis, engineer, inventor,
builder. The inventor of the first successful coal burning locomotive, "The
York", had complimented his adopted city.
Patient work and planning by The
Society brought success after eight years. The community was afforded an
opportunity to honor Davis' genius. Two memorials were placed in York, November
24, 1924. Those events, on Thanksgiving Day, are recorded among the outstanding
public ceremonies in the city's history.
Fred G. Dempwolf, a past
president, designed the Davis monument, located along East College avenue, on
Penn Common, and, significantly, opposite the entrance to William Penn Senior
High School. Davis' associate, during his 1809-33 residence in York, was
Jonathan Jessop, an eminent citizen. The great-grandson, and namesake of
Jessop, came from Pittsburgh to unveil the monument.
Principal address was made by John
F. Sprenkel, The Society's president.
The Gazette & Daily noted: "To
The Engineering Society of York belongs the credit for having launched a plan
whereby Phineas Davis memorials were placed in this city.. . "
The York Dispatch and the Gazette
both featured[ stories of York's tribute to Davis by thousands who attended a
large parade. In it was "The
Atlantic", a model of Davis' locomotive, chugging through central sections of
York on tracks of the York Railways Companv.
At a second ceremony on the same
day, a tablet also was placed by the Vigilant Fire Company on the site of
Davis' early shop, King and Newberry streets.
"ENGINEERING
SOCIETY HOST AT 'HOUSE-WARMING' IN NEW HOME"
This newspaper headline, Friday,
June 16, 1939, spelled the realization of a dream of nearly 30 years. The
new home at
29 South Beaver
Street, had been the Second Church of Christ Scientist, acquired from Dr. B. H.
Pearce.
An impressive front elevation in
faithful style of Greek architecture makes the "Engineers' " building a central
city showplace.
A gleaming facade of white marble columns, accented by the sharp lines of the entrance arch, virtually
seems symbolic of an engineer's penchant for precision
Lighting equipment, heating and
ventilation system are designed, as may be expected, to provide maximum comfort
in the two-hundred-fifty seat auditorium. On
the second floor are a reading room, library and office.
In 1941, the late Edgar P. Kable,
1929 president, generously provided a $5,000 trust in favor of The Society as a
nucleus of a building fund. Members
attending the 1956 banquet had the thrill of witnessing the mortgage burning.
When President W. S. Ehrenfeld
announced the first regular meeting at the Beaver street location, September
18, members were given notice in "The York Engineer". The
monthly, in abbreviated tabloid format, has been an important, regularly
published periodical ever since.
Members of The Society enjoy their
building.
Typical] of their community interest, frequent opportunity to also use the facility has been accorded
allied engineering groups, cultural and civic organizations.
When members attended the 1956
banquet, the drama of the mortgage burning was overshadowed by an even more
dramatic announcement of establishment within The Society of a $100,000
scholarship trust and educational purposes fund by Mr. Kable
This quiet, mild-mannered and
faithful member, through his generous benefaction, gave the organization
opportunity for a new dimension in its objective to serve the community. His
death,
in
1959, marked the passing of one of The Society's "greats".
Since establishment of the Kable
Fund, a total of $4,600 was loaned to York area students, 1958-59, who required
financial
assistance to further an advanced technical education. Student
selection, and allocation of the trust benefits, have been the meticulous
responsibility of a separate committee each year since the fund's activation. A
portion of the Kahle Fund for several years also was allocated for the purchase
of technical books. The Martin
Memorial Library and other libraries were the recipients.
There has been an established
practice by The Society of offering awards for achievement in the study of
science to students at area high schools; at York Junior College, and at the
York Campus Of The Pennsylvania State University. Awards
also have been provided by The Society in recent years for leading entries in
The York Area Science Fair.
In retrospect, the Society
continues to offer cooperation to civic projects of wide benefit to the
community, and to provide technical advancement and social fellowship for all
area residents engaged in the general field of engineering. Since
membership is not limited to graduate engineers, but rather to those in the
many branches of engineering, the lecture programs embrace a wide range of
subject matter related to the profession.
It is possible for an engineer
practicing a high degree of specialization, through membership in The Society,
to obtain a knowledge of many phases of his vocational choice which might not
have been otherwise available. Most
of all, perhaps this has kept the torch burning from a spark by which it was
ignited fifty years ago.
The
Society's "Golden Year" Exhibition
Throughout
the current week, the Historical Society of York County, 250 East Market
Street, is open to the public for exhibition of a wide variety of engineering
memorabilia. Items of historical
as well as current interest have been assembled by The Engineering Society of
York from among local industries and private collections. An
outstanding feature of the display is a collection from The Franklin Institute,
Philadelphia. You are urged to
visit the show before it closes, April 30.
The Past
Presidents
1910
*Dr. C. H. Elnenfeld
1911
*Wm. Edgar Wilkinson
1912 *John K. Britton
1913
*W. H. Von Menguering-Hausen
1914
*Stanley Zweible
1915
*H. A. Delano
1916
*W. W. Birnstock
1917
*George A. Jessop
1918
*James Rudisill
1919
*Harold Syversten
1920
Wm. J. Fisher
1921
*C. D. Bond
1922
*Dr. H. B. North
1923
Fred C. Dernpwolf
1924
John F. Sprenkel
1925
*H. A. Russell'
1926 *
Everette L. Greene
1927
*Chas. F. Sioberg
1928 Harry R. Lenker
1929
*Edgar P. Kable
1930
N. J. Gebert
1931
L. 0. Buckner
1932
John I. Spangler
1933
Fred E. Reiners
1934
Wm. F. Schwartz
1935
*Harry W. Motter
1936
G. A. Heckert
1937
*Daniel G. Meckley Jr.
1938
L. W. Kauffman
1939
Walter S. Ehrenfeld
1940
John E. Geesey
1941
*Henry K. Owen
1942
William E.
Sigel
1943 John W. Hennessey
1944
*Oscar E. Weber
1945 J acob L. Mueller
1946
W. W. Berchtold
1947
Walter H. Glomb
1948
Starling H. Mikell
1949 *John L. Zeigler
1950
Carl D. Kester
1951
Jacob Fisch
1952
John G. Hampton
1953
John H. Mueller
1954
Henry W. Jacobs
1955
Edward L. Rogers
1956
John L. Kugle
1957
Richard K. Lee
1958
Ralph W. Shaffer
1959 Horace E.
Shenck
1960 Jennings B. Grimm, Sr.
1961 Charles E. Elicker
1962 Jacob Frank
1963 John M. Horn
1964 Carroll S.
Firtz
1965 John D. Davies
1966 Kenneth S. Duncan
1967 Richard C.
Earle
1968 Alwin B. Newton
1969 John L. Coldren, Jr.
1970 Clarence W. Falkler
1971 Phillip H. Wallick, Jr.
1972 Donald W. Nace
1973 Jennings B. Grimm, Jr.
1974 Charles D. Briddell
1975 Robert A. Horn
1976 Dale W. Linebaugh
1977 Marlyn E. Hahn
1978 Christian M. Wagman
1979 James B. Uhl
1980 Earl E. Deveney
1981 Ernest Lease
1982 George H. Stram
1983 A. Richard
Jones
1984 William E. Smeigh, Jr.
1985 Donald L. Smith, Jr.
1986 Richard E. Fuhrman
1987 Gary W. Evans
1988 Kenneth
Johnston
1989 Eugene A.
Yeater
1990 Linda
Dougherty-Lohenitz
1991 Eugene A.
Yeater
1992 Jerry Watson
1993 Robert Lindskog
1994 Robert Lindskog
1995 John J. Luciani
1996 John J. Luciani
1997 Jan Wagner
1998 Bill McDonald
1999 Jon A. Seitz
2000 Doug Wetzel
2001 John Yankowski
2002 Jim Norton
2003 Brett
Calebretta
2004 Brett
Calebretta
2005 Larry Moore
2006 Larry Moore
*Deceased
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