The Age of Ingenuity

Abstract

This article highlights that by the late 19th century, as the prestige of engineers grew, their inventiveness gave rise to unprecedented industrial advancement. In 1888, George Westinghouse was investigating a motor for his alternating current electrical system. He had developed AC power two years earlier, and it offered a transmission advantage over the direct current system of Thomas Edison. The introduction of a transformer, to step voltages up or down, permitted efficient power transmission over longer distances. Edison’s system still had the upper hand; however, because of the DC motor. Direct current not only could light up the dark, it could also do work, like driving streetcars and factory machinery. American industrialization hurtled forward during ASME’s second decade, and mechanical engineers were in the forefront. Through inventions and technical ingenuity and know-how, engineers made great contributions to industrial productivity and helped corporate employers achieve success and profitability.