Charles Proteus Steinmetz (April 9, 1865 - October 26, 1923) was a German-born American mathematician and electrical engineer. A Chicago public high school, Steinmetz College Prep, is named for him,[37] as well as a Schenectady public school, the Steinmetz Career and Leadership Academy. That, is the electrons don't travel down the wire but instead just vibrate back and forth. Background However, to Steinmetz, working at GE was part of his socialist and environmental beliefs. [27] Siegfried Grundmann The Einstein Dossiers (Physica-Verlag, 2006), 125. He went first to Zurich, then, in 1889 arrived in the United States. Why was Charles Steinmetz almost turned away at Ellis Island? Steinmetz's connection to Union is further celebrated with the annual Steinmetz Symposium,[32] a day-long event in which Union undergraduates give presentations on research they have done. At birth Steinmetz was afflicted with a physical deformity, hunchback, and as a youth he showed an unusual capability in mathematics, physics, and classical literature. His book Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America won the Pulitzer Prize in 2013. As socialist meetings and press had been banned in Germany, Steinmetz fled to Zrich in 1888 to escape possible arrest. A public park in north Schenectady, New York was named for him in 1931. In spite of his love for children and family life, Steinmetz remained unmarried, to prevent his spinal deformity from being passed to any offspring. In the fall of 1923, Steinmetz was invited to give a talk at the American Institute of Electrical Engineers in Del Monte, California. He was a member of numerous scientific and educational organizations. When Roy Hayden married a woman named Corrine in 1903, Steinmetz invited the newly married couple to live with him. The German-born American mathematician and electrical engineer Charles Proteus Steinmetz (1865-1923), by devoting himself to industrial research, made fundamental contributions to the development of both electricity and the industrial laboratory. He fostered the development of alternating current that made possible the expansion of the electric power industry in the United States, formulating mathematical theories for engineers. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. In 1911, Steinmetz recalled that Schenectady had a reputation at that time of being very similar to a cemetery. His discoveries changed the way engineers thought about circuits and machines and made him the most recognized name in electricity for decades. Steinmetz developed a symbolic method of calculating alternating-current phenomena and in so doing simplified an extremely complicated and barely understood field so that the average engineer could work with alternating current. Karl August Rudolf Steinmetz, (born April 9, 1865, Breslau, Prussiadied Oct. 26, 1923, Schenectady, N.Y., U.S.), German-born U.S. electrical engineer. Why SJF Cannot be implemented practically? Steinmetz's last research was on lightning, which threatened to disrupt the new AC power lines. When the engineers complied, the generator was fixed! When a Socialist mayor took office, Steinmetz served as president of the Schenectady Board of Education and was instrumental in implementing longer school hours, school meals, school nurses, special classes for children of immigrants and the distribution of free textbooks. Steinmetz then decided that as he was so often called to look at special problems, GE should form a special consulting department that was composed of the best specialist engineers so that they could swoop down and deal with any emergency. The Wizard of Schenectady was gone. Steinmetz attended Johannes Gymnasium and astonished his teachers with his proficiency in mathematics and physics. ABOUT. Jack B. Scott wrote in to tell of his fathers encounter with the Wizard of Schenectady at Henry Fords River Rouge plant in Dearborn, Michigan. Charles Proteus Steinmetz, orig. Quoting from Hammond, "This has placed him before the public as an atheist. Steinmetz tried to warn us that, We have been a wasteful nation because of our great natural wealthwe have been destroying our forests to get lumber in the most extravagant way. The inventor Guglielmo Marconi once asked about Steinmetz about his Gila monster. Charles Steinmetz was born Karl August Rudolf Steinmetz on April 9, 1865, in Breslau. Where did Charles Proteus Steinmetz live? * The title he did not deny. He received 2 honorary degrees, the A.M. from Harvard (1902) and Ph.D. from Union (1903). With these, all requirements are complete to develop the most perfect civilization the world has ever seen. Cookie Settings, Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America, Ancient DNA Charts Native Americans Journeys to Asia Thousands of Years Ago, Catch a Glimpse of a Rare Green Comet This Month, Ancient DNA Reveals a Genetic History of the Viking Age, Why the Union Army Had So Many Boy Soldiers, Why the Hunterian Museum Is Removing the Skeleton of 'Irish Giant' Charles Byrne From View. Born in 1865 in Breslau, Germany (now Wroclaw, Poland), Carl August Rudolph Steinmetz became a brilliant student of mathematics and chemistry at the University of Breslau, but he was forced to flee the country after the authorities became interested in his involvement with the Socialist Party. The following day, a headline in the New York Times proclaimed, Modern Jove Hurls Lighting at Will. Steinmetzs work led to the measures used to protect power equipment from lightning strikes. The New York Times. The significant role played by bitcoin for businesses! Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998. Steinmetz experiments on power losses in the magnetic materials used in electrical machinery led to his first important work, the law of hysteresis. Steinmetz's first important research was on hysteresis, by which power is lost because of magnetic resistance. [13], Steinmetz founded America's first glider club, but none of its prototypes "could be dignified with the term 'flight'".[24][25][c]. GE in particular was happy to have a flamboyant face to humanize their company especially as it was awkward to promote Edison as he had been fired just 10 years earlier. Updates? [28] Charles Steinmetz Four Lectures on Relativity and Space (McGraw-Hill, 1923), v. [29] Man-Made Lightning Under Control Schenectady Works, vol. Then soon after that (or perhaps before), Steinmetz bought a 1914 Detroit Electric, a model 48 Duplex (and no, I dont know enough about old cars to know what that means). By that time, he had adopted a new American name: Charles Proteus Steinmetz. In 1893 Eickemeyer's company, along with all of its patents and designs, was bought by the newly formed General Electric Company, where Steinmetz quickly became known as the engineering wizard in GE's engineering community. Here is a clip from the first video that GE made about this meeting: Now we get to a famous story about Steinmetz and Henry Ford. After a short stay in Zrich he immigrated to the United States in 1889, traveling by steerage. By 1914, as I said before, Steinmetz agreed to let Edison use his words and images to promote Edisons battery. Search the site. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. What did Charles Steinmetz do at General Electric? Then he finally got to algebra and geometry and mathematics became his favorite subject. Oct. 26, 1923, National Inventors Hall of Fame Instagram, Leadership Intern Program (High School & College Students), Apply for the Collegiate Inventors Competition. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Steinmetz agreed to all of Corrines terms. A collector of rare plants, he had it designed with a greenhouse, as well as a laboratory, where he planned to work as much as possible to avoid going into the office. Terms of Use The time is not far.[19] Not only that, but Steinmetz felt that we could reach a perfect society that was powered by electricity instead of by the oppression of the poor, as he explained in a radio address in 1922: with one taking care of the disproportion and supplies of energy, the other of materials. Where should I start working out out of shape? But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. [16] Eickemeyer's firm developed transformers for use in the transmission of electrical power among many other mechanical and electrical devices. Hayden, who later married and lived in the house with his wife and children that Charles had built for them. Charles Proteus Steinmetz (born Karl August Rudolph Steinmetz, April 9, 1865 October 26, 1923) was a German-born American mathematician and electrical engineer and professor at Union College. What are 6 of Charles Dickens classic novels? . It all started in April of 1921 when Albert Einstein went on a tour of America to raise money for a Jewish college as he was starting to see countless examples of how Jewish students in Germany were being deprived of educational opportunities (not realizing that Germany was just getting started on that score). He was assigned to the new calculating department, the first job of which was to work on the companys proposal for building the generators at the new Niagara Falls power station. In Greek mythology, Proteus was a cave-dwelling prophetic old man who always returned to his human formthat of a hunchback. [16], Steinmetz's work revolutionized AC circuit theory and analysis, which had been carried out using complicated, time-consuming calculus-based methods. Meanwhile, Steinmetz continued to be an active socialist, if not a particularly radical one. Soon after his arrival, he went to work for Eickemeyer and Osterheld, a company in Yonkers, New York, and he identified and explained, through a mathematical equation that later became known as the Law of Hysterisis, or Steinmetzs Law, phenomena governing power losses, leading to breakthroughs in both alternating- and direct-current electrical systems. It started in March of 1903 when Success magazine ran a big article about Steinmetz where they said, he is known and recognized by engineers everywhere as the man who probably knows more about the practical application of electricity than any other man in this country.[13] Soon the newspapers were full of articles about Steinmetz, which was pushed by GE and Union College. How much money did Tesla have when he arrived in America? Steinmetz Hall, which houses the Union College computer center, is named after him. In typical magnetic materials, the Steinmetz coefficients all vary with temperature. These were conducted in a football field-sized laboratory at General Electric, using . [27] Although Einstein was very busy so it seems unlikely that they spoke for hours, they did both speak German (and Einstein didnt speak English at the time) so they probably talked a bit at least. One appeared on the letters page of Life magazine in 1965, after the magazine had printed a story on Steinmetz. In 1892, the firm merged with the General Electric Company and he was sent to Lynn, Mass. [20] Steinmetz speaks on WGY radio miSci Museum of Innovation and Science, https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/schmuse/id/269/rec/167. But the first commercial electricity was direct current. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The German-born American mathematician and electrical engineer Charles Proteus Steinmetz (1865-1923), by devoting himself to industrial research, made fundamental contributions to the development of both electricity and the industrial laboratory. Steinmetz also greatly advanced the understanding of lightning. If you did and hated having to take English, History, and Languages you can blame Steinmetz too, I guess. Open today 10 AM - 5 PM. [2][17] His seminal books and many other AIEE papers "taught a whole generation of engineers how to deal with AC phenomena". Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. ; the next year he was transferred to Schenectady as chief consulting engineer, remaining in that position until his death. Search the catalog. One of the articles he wrote was considered inflammatory; the police began a crackdown on the paper, and Steinmetz had to flee Breslau (1888). In 1910, GE created that department and made Steinmetz the head. At the meeting, Eickemeyer introduced Steinmetz to Edison and Edison turned to them and jokingly pointed at Steinmetz and said pure theory, pointed to Eickemeyer and said, theory and practice and then at himself and said pure practice.[34] Over the years Steinmetz and Edison met at various meetings and soon they began a correspondence. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Luckily, the people at Union college have collected and preserved many of his original documents, old car, and photographs, and the Ford museum has a lot of old devices and pictures and actually moved his vacation shack to his museum. Within two years, Steinmetz had built three new schools and enlarged 2 more and built numerous playgrounds, set up a system of school meals, set up systems of school doctors, and created an epidemic plan (which was good timing as the pandemic of 1918 was just about to arrive). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Steinmetz responded with a note that simply said, Making chalk marks on generator $1, Knowing where to make mark $9,999, Total due $10,000.[36]. [2][18], Steinmetz also greatly advanced the understanding of lightning. Reporters were awestruck. Omissions? He didn't invent it. [14], A member of the original Technical Alliance, which also included Thorstein Veblen and Leland Olds, Steinmetz had great faith in the ability of machines to eliminate human toil and create abundance for all. Kessinger Publishing, 2006. Where was Charles Proteus Steinmetz born and raised? The whole family went together and in Hollywood, Steinmetz was given a tour of the set by non-other than the famous movie star Douglas Fairbanks. Steinmetz acted in the following professional capacities: He was granted an honorary degree from Harvard University in 1901[20] and a doctorate from Union College in 1903. [18] Sender Garlin Charles P. Steinmetz, scientist and socialist (American Institute for Marxist Studies, 1977), 12. If you got a degree in electrical engineering at a college and enjoyed getting a well-rounded education you can thank Steinmetz. Steinmetz soon moved into a rented house with his assistant, Ernst Berg where they were often joined by Ernsts brother Eskil visiting from Sweden. In his later years Steinmetz also engaged in public affairs to a considerable degree, serving as president of the Board of Education of Schenectady, N.Y., and as president of the city council. It would make their long working hours more convenient, and the house offered space he and Corrine could never afford on their own. [15], Shortly after arriving in the United States, Steinmetz went to work for Rudolf Eickemeyer in Yonkers, New York, and published in the field of magnetic hysteresis, earning worldwide professional recognition. Steinmetz third major scientific achievement was in the study and theory of electrical transientsthat is, changes in electrical circuits of very short duration. Corrections? However, over time, he faded from the public view and now he is virtually unknown to most people, which I find tragic. This method was an example of using mathematical aids for engineering the design of machinery and power lines, so that the performance of the electrical system could be predicted in advance without the necessity of going through the expensive and uncertain process of building the system first and then testing it for its efficiency. His book Theory and Calculation of Alternating Current Phenomena (coauthored with Ernst J. Berg in 1897) was read and understood by only a very few. Ford, whose electrical engineers couldnt solve some problems they were having with a gigantic generator, called Steinmetz in to the plant. When did the Charles P Steinmetz Lecture Series begin? In a world that compelled conformity, Steinmetz played by his own rules and had a fantastic time doing it. [23] The New Steinmetz Electric The Central Station (March, 1920), 302-3. Loki: The Life of Charles Proteus Steimetz. 533,244 Inducted in 1977 Born April 9, 1865 - Died Oct. 26, 1923 Without Charles Steinmetz's theories of alternating current, the expansion of the electric power industry in the United States in the early 20th century would have been greatly delayed. This accomplishment was largely responsible for the rapid progress made in the commercial introduction of alternating-current apparatus. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. A humorous aspect of the story is the "itemized bill" he submitted for the work performed. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. In 1893, Steinmetz joined the newly organized General Electric Company in Schenectady, New York, serving as consulting engineer until his death. 5 Summary. [3] Charles Steinmetz to Eskil Berg (Jan 9, 1895) Steinmetz Digital Collection of Schenectady #473868 https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/schmuse/id/119/rec/5. Such occurrences were all the more painful for Steinmetz, as it was a family and children that he longed for most in his life. [8] Guy Bartlett. Manage My Data He was the electrical scientist and engineer, Charles Proteus Steinmetz. GE was a little nervous about having Steinmetz doing this publicly, but he was just too famous for them to fire or reprimand. His experiments led to the law of hysteresis, which deals with power loss in electrical machinery when magnetic action is converted to unusable heat; the constant he calculated (by age 27) has remained a part of electrical engineering vocabulary. The writer put him down as a confirmed agnostic, for an atheist is a person who knows there is no God, and Steinmetz was not of that", Ronald R. Klein, Steinmetz: Engineer and Socialist (Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology), 1992. In 1913, Steinmetz felt he was working on the answer: Electricity, my friend! Electricity will take the place of coal, and will do the work a thousandfold better. Steinmetz Name Meaning German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name from Middle High German steinmetze, German Steinmetz stonemason, worker in stone. Jonathan Norton Leonard. 127 (July, 1922), 26. Hayden favored the idea, but his future wife was wary of the unorthodox arrangement. Steinmetz was excited as he had never been to the West coast. Charles Proteus Steinmetz; Mikhail Dolivo-Dobrovolsky; Charles E. L. Brown; John Hopkinson (1849-1898) Jonas Wenstrm (1855-1893) Ernst Danielson (1866-1907) He at once began to indoctrinate the engineers with his method of calculating alternating-current circuits. German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name from Middle High German steinmetze, German Steinmetz stonemason, worker in stone. [39], In May 2015, a life-size bronze statue of Charles Steinmetz meeting Thomas Edison by sculptor and caster Dexter Benedict was unveiled on a plaza on the corner of Erie Boulevards and South Ferry Street in Schenectady. What It Is and What It Has Accomplished. Journal of Chemical Education. Doubleday, Page & Co., 1904. Meanwhile, Steinmetz, who always liked to live communally, became particularly close to a shy young engineer named Joseph LeRoy Roy Hayden. I am not 100% sure what motivated Edison to do this but as far as I can tell it went down like this: a few years earlier, Henry Ford who was a GIANT Edison supporter decided to make a museum dedicated to show industrial history which eventually turned into the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. In 1894 he arrived in. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Thus, Steinmetz reputation was assured at the age of 27. 5, No. STEINMETZ, CHARLESElectrical engineer and socialist Charles Proteus Steinmetz (1865-1923), born in Breslau, Germany, on April 9, was a public figure of the Progressive Era who tried to engineer a better society by creating an early code of engineering ethics, running for political office, and advocating a technocratic form of socialism. At General Electric, Steinmetz gained an expanded opportunity for research and implementation of his ideas. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. There were thunderous crashes at odd hours of the night. His systematic experiments resulted in the first laboratory created "man-made lightning", earning him the nickname the "Forger of Thunderbolts". Letters to the Editors. Life, May 14, 1965. Like a mischievous boy, he was fascinated with anything that was lethal, and he gathered alligators, rattlesnakes and black widow spiders. 31. How much money did Tesla have when he arrived in America? [45], A famous anecdote about Steinmetz concerns a troubleshooting consultation at Henry Ford's River Rouge Plant. Steinmetz method of calculation was presented to an uncomprehending audience at the International Electrical Congress in 1893. On graduating from the gymnasium with honours, he entered the University of Breslau in 1883. Doubleday, 1929. Betty M. Adelson. Now I am going to talk about a really famous photograph of Albert Einstein that was edited to make it look like it was a private meeting and why. Charles P. Steinmetz, AIEE President, 1901 - 1902, worked on inventions for electric motors, generators, and street cars. [13], Despite his earlier efforts and interest in socialism, by 1922 Steinmetz concluded that socialism would never work in the United States, because the country lacked a "powerful, centralized government of competent men, remaining continuously in office", and because "only a small percentage of Americans accept this viewpoint today". Rock climbing, skiing, boating, picnics, bicycle rides, they even tried to fly with what they called the Mohawk River Arial Navigation Club, which was Americas first glider club. Steinmetz was president of the AIEE from 1900-01. [17], You might wonder how his political feelings meshed with working for a giant energy conglomerate like GE. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [citation needed], Faced with an expiring visa, he emigrated to the United States in 1889. But knowing that his deformity was congenital (both his father and grandfather were afflicted with kyphosis, an abnormal curvature of the upper spine), Steinmetz chose not to marry, fearful of passing on his deformity. Other awards include the Certificate of Merit of Franklin Institute, 1908; the Elliott Cresson Medal, 1913; and the Cedergren Medal, 1914. Charles Steinmetz (near center) sitting next to Edwin Houston and in front of T. Commerford Martin, See also: Papers of Charles Proteus Steinmetz. One result of Steinmetzs growing reputation was his employment by General Electric Company in its consulting department. Where did Charles Proteus Steinmetz go to escape arrest? The city was abuzz with speculation. Soon after his death, his car company folded. Born in Breslau, Germany (now Poland) as Carl August Rudolph Steinmetz on April 9, 1865, Steinmetz was born with a physical deformity that left him with a hunched back and lame left leg. When did Charles Proteus Steinmetz come to America? Henry Ford was thrilled until he got an invoice from General Electric in the amount of $10,000. With a Blackstone panatela cigar seemingly glued to his lips, Steinmetz cringed as children scurried away upon seeing himfrightened, he believed, by the queer, gnome-like figure with the German accent. He felt that America, has given me everything I wanted the only criticism which I can make is that I would far more enjoy my advantages if I knew that everybody else could enjoy the same. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Steinmetz was born Karl August Rudolph Steinmetz on April 9, 1865 in Breslau, Province of Silesia, Prussia (now Wrocaw, Poland) the son of Caroline (Neubert) and Karl Heinrich Steinmetz. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The first job he obtained was as draftsman at the Osterheld and Eickemeyer factory in Yonkers, N. Y.; soon he was given charge of all the new and experimental work in the establishment. McGraw-Hill, 1962. The Lives of Dwarves: Their Journey from Public Curiosity to Social Liberation. He soon obtained a job with a small electrical firm owned by Rudolf Eickemeyer in Yonkers, N.Y. At about the same time, Steinmetz Americanized his first name to Charles and substituted Proteus, a university nickname, for his two middle names. In March of 1922, reporters were invited to General Electric and gathered before a model village that Steinmetz had constructed. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. In 1892 he read two papers on the subject to the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. Steinmetz thoroughly enjoyed the comparison. Once Steinmetz had found the law governing hysteresis loss, engineers could calculate and minimize losses of electric power due to magnetism in their designs before starting the construction of such machines. That's because the earliest electricity was generated by batteries. Charles Proteus Steinmetz (April 9, 1865, - October 26, 1923) was born in Breslau, Prussia (part of Germany at the time) (now known as Wroclaw, Poland). [13] Herbert Wallace A Man Who Knows Success Magazine vol. 8-9, (June 1923), 207. Four different kinds of cryptocurrencies you should know. [26][d] He died on October 26, 1923, and was buried in Vale Cemetery in Schenectady. Besides working on inventions for electric motors and generators and electric street cars, Doctor Steinmetz attracted attention by articles he contributed to scientific papers here and in Germany, especially on the theory of alternating currents. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". [22] For example The Automobile (Feb 26, 1914), 532. [15] Charles Steinmetz On the Value of the Classics in Engineering Education The Classical Weekly vol. Of course, my dear, Steinmetz replied, stifling a huge grin. . Charles Proteus Steinmetz (April 9, 1865 - October 26, 1923) was a mathematician and electrical engineer. Gradually, through his writing, lecturing, and teaching, his method of calculation with complex numbers was universally adopted in work with alternating currents. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Kathy Loves Physics | Powered by Kathy Loves Physics. Steinmetz learned that the town had quadrupled in size but the schools had not increased enough in size and there were over 3,000 students who were unable to get an education. [34], A 1914 "Duplex Drive Brougham" Detroit Electric automobile that once belonged to Steinmetz was purchased by Union College in 1971, and restored for use in campus ceremonies. Froehlich, Fritz; Kent, Allen (editors, 1990). By then, Edison was nearly deaf, and Steinmetz tapped out a message on Edisons knee in Morse Code. What is the difference between HSI and Hscei? He systematized the use of complex number phasor representation in electrical engineering education texts, whereby the lower-case letter "j" is used to designate the 90-degree rotation operator in AC system analysis. 3 No 21 (April 2, 1910), 175. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. [5] Steinmetz's equation,[b][6] Steinmetz solids, Steinmetz curves, and Steinmetz equivalent circuit[7] are all named after him, as are numerous honors and scholarships, including the IEEE Charles Proteus Steinmetz Award, one of the highest technical recognitions given by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers professional society. German-American electrical engineer and inventor, was a pioneer in the field of electrical engineering, who invented a commercially successful alternating current motor.
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