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
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
2007 Jeff Hines
2008 Jeff Hines
2009 Jon Raab
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