In this session of The Engineering Career Coach Podcast, I visit the Roebling Museum and interview a historian who has written a book about John A. Roebling, one of the greatest engineers of all time to find out what made him great. This is the first half of the interview, which includes 8 of the 18 characteristics that made John Roebling a great engineer.
The mission of the Roebling Museum is to document, preserve and exhibit the history of the John A. Roebling’s Sons Company, the Roebling family and the village of Roebling. Its focus is not only on the industrial and technological achievements of the company but on the unique social history of its workforce and the town it created.
“It’s a utilitarian structure, but he made it a work of art.” – Clifford Zink, The Roebling Legacy
Clifford W. Zink is a historian who focuses on architectural and industrial history and is now based in Princeton, New Jersey. Being born in New York City, he had always been aware of the Brooklyn Bridge, an icon of the city that was designed by civil engineer John A. Roebling. He became more interested in John Roebling during the 100th anniversary celebration of the bridge in 1983. He could not find too much information about John Roebling; therefore he decided to write a book, The Roebling Legacy for which he has received several awards on his documentation.
Listen to this podcast episode and learn about the life of John A. Roebling, what made him one of the greatest engineers of all times. Here are eight characteristics that John Roebling exhibited that may be helpful to you, in your engineering career:
- Obtain a world-class education.
- Make the most of it.
- Get field experience.
- Be innovative.
- Follow your passion.
- Be a problem solver.
- Take risks.
- Be persistent.
We dive into each point in detail in the episode.
Resources and links mentioned in this session include:
EngineeringEvent.com
Clifford Zink
Roebling Museum
Contact Purdue – Master of Engineering Management Program
Books Mentioned on the Show (Affiliate Links):
Click Here for Session #37 Transcription
How have you utilized your education or experiences to make your engineering career great?
I would love to hear any questions you might have or stories you might share about how you have exhibited these characteristics in your engineering career.
Please leave your comments or questions in the section below.
