Abstract of the Commemorative lecture
The Joy of Engineering
Today our modern society is almost completely dependent upon technology. Recognition of this dependence has caused writers such as Mumford and Ellul to suggest that technology has run amok, and that steps must be taken to control it.
Such writers are willing to accept much of the progress of the past. They are willing to ride in automobiles or to fly in airplanes but feel that technology has taken on a life or momentum of it own which may lead in undersirable or even dangerous directions. As a consequence, fewer of our young people are choosing careers in science and technology.
I believe that engineering can provide exciting and rewarding careers for the young people who may wish to enter it now. I would like to use my own experience an example.
I grew up in a small town in western Kansas, an area not known for its manufacturing skills. I attended one of the better Midwestern Universities, graduating in 1947.
This was an exciting time to enter the electronics industry. Many new electronic products were being announced. The transistor was invented in that year, a development which would forever change the field. As a consequence, the field of electronics began a rapid expansion which has continued to this day.
As a young engineer, I was offered opportunities to contribute to projects which would make a difference. The most important of these, of course, was the integrated circuit, which has grown to a 75 billion dollars industry, not only in the US but in Japan and around the world.
This has provided me with a very satisfying career. Although my part was a small one, I have had a vantage point from which to see the progress.
I can highly recommend engineering to all young people who may be choosing their life work.
