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Progress Before Profit: The George Westinghouse Story

J.M. Syken

Course Outline

In this course, we will examine the life and achievements of George Westinghouse: mechanic, inventor, entrepreneur, captain of industry and humanitarian. Our review will include the early life of GW and his interest in all things mechanical. His service during the American Civil War, first as a cavalryman and later as an engineer on a U.S. Navy ship and how it helped to define the man he would become in later life will be of special interest. The immediate post-Civil War era and the opportunities it presented for someone like GW will also be discussed. Specifically, the need for a more efficient braking system for trains which led to GW’s first successful invention – the Westinghouse Air Brake.

The success of the Westinghouse Air Brake Co, and supplemental rail transportation innovations of the company, which laid the foundation for future industrial endeavors by GW will also be reviewed. GW’s ability to invent anew and/or recognize superior designs and purchase them outright, and improve on them, will be of great interest. An example of which was GW’s long and fruitful relationship with Nikola Tesla, which led to victory for GW in the “Battle of the Currents” between DC (Edison) and AC (Westinghouse) generation/distribution. The expansion of Westinghouse into diverse fields and its multiple related/tangential companies - before and after the death of GW (in 1914), and the many contributions of Westinghouse in the field of consumer appliances during the 20th Century will also be of great interest.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

Intended Audience

This course is intended for architects, engineers and other design professionals.

Benefit to Attendees

The attendee/s will gain an intimate knowledge and insight the life of George Westinghouse – inventor, industrialist and humanitarian.

Course Introduction

The course includes the viewing of two documentary films.

Course Content

TITLE:  Westinghouse Documentary
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BUpF__h-IY
DURATION: 1:52:19
TITLE: The Middleton Family at the New York World’s Fair
LINK: https://archive.org/details/middleton_family_worlds_fair_1939
DURATION: 54:43

Course Summary

It’s one of the ironies of modern times that, of the two most prolific inventors/industrialists of the late 19th and early 20th Century/s, both of whom have had a profound effect on all of our lives, one - Thomas Edison, is remembered as the “Great Inventor,” while the other – George Westinghouse, garners little more than a footnote in the collective memory. Truth be told, it was the latter whose personal inventions and/or the inventions of others he purchased, improved and expanded upon that have had the greater impact. Improving the manufacture of light bulbs (Edison didn’t actually invent the incandescent light bulb) and the phonograph have their rightful place in the history of invention, but starting with the Air Brake, GW’s many contributions tip the balance in his favor. That one invention alone made rail travel safe and efficient at a time when trains were the only means of long-distance land rail travel. Its impact was profound. GW and the multiple companies he founded contributed to the use of natural gas as an efficient fuel supply for industry and street lighting. In the era of electricity, GW’s recognition that AC, rather than DC, was the way-to-go proved correct, despite the vicious attacks on him by the “Wizard of Menlo Park.” Indeed, Nikola Tesla – perhaps the greatest inventor of all time, stated that only GW could have taken on Edison and won the “Battle of the Currents.” A modest, unassuming, highly moral man, GW was the model “Captain of Industry.” His goal was progress which, in-turn would produce profit which could/would then be applied to new ventures that would serve the interests of all mankind. In his “Service to Others” throughout his life, GW left an enduring legacy.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Westinghouse

https://archive.org/details/georgewestinghou00warrrich

https://archive.org/details/broadeningfield00compgoog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyrTgtPTz3M (Film: Westinghouse All Electric House - 11:32)

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.