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John L. Harrington

For other people named John Harrington, see John Harrington (disambiguation).

John Lyle Harrington
John Lyle Harrington (portrait)
John L. Harrington in 1922
Born(1868-12-07)December 7, 1868
Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.
DiedMay 20, 1942(1942-05-20) (aged 73)
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Resting placeForest Hill Calvary Cemetery
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
CitizenshipUnited States of America
EducationC.E., M.S., D.Eng.
Alma materUniversity of Kansas
McGill University
Case School of Applied Science
Organization(s)American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Reconstruction Finance Corporation
Spouse
Daisy June Orton
​
(m. 1899)​
Children1
Engineering career
DisciplineCivil Engineering
Practice nameWaddell & Harrington
Harrington, Howard, & Ash
Harrington & Cortelyou
Significant designVertical-lift bridge

John Lyle Harrington (December 7, 1868 – May 20, 1942) was an American civil engineer and a leading expert in the field of moveable bridge design.[1] He was a senior partner in several bridge engineering firms, President of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1923-24, and Chief of the engineers' board advising the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.[2]

Early life and family

John L. Harrington was born on December 7, 1868, in Lawrence, Kansas to Robert Charles and Angeline Virginia (née Henry). He attended public schooling in Kansas before graduating from the University of Kansas in 1895 with a Bachelor of Science (BS) in civil engineering. In 1899 he married Daisy June Orton of White Cloud, Kansas before continuing his education at McGill University, where he completed a second BS in 1906, and a Master of Science (MS) degree in 1908. As of 1911, Harrington and his wife resided in Kansas City, Missouri with one child: Thomas Orton Harrington.[2][3] Eventually, Harrington earned a Doctorate of Engineering from the Case School of Applied Sciences in 1930.

Career and works

Early in his career, Harrington was Chief Engineer of the Locomotive and Machine Company of Montreal.[4][5]: 924  In 1907 he would partner with John Alexander Low Waddell to form the bridge design firm Waddell & Harrington. Working together, they would soon obtain several patents improving on Waddell's earlier designs of the state-of-the-art vertical-lift bridge.[6][7] As of 2021, one of Harrington's early bridge collaborations with Waddell, the 1910 Hawthorne Bridge in Portland, Oregon, remains the oldest operating vertical-lift bridge in the United States.[8] The partnership came to an end in 1914 when Harrington departed along with draftsman Frank Morgan Cortelyou. They joined a new company called 'Harrington, Howard & Ash', and in 1928 the duo went on to found the long-running firm Harrington & Cortelyou.[4][9]

In 1922 Harrington was elected president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for the year 1923-24. Under the Herbert Hoover presidency (1929–1933), he was a member of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.[2][10]

By the end of his career, Harrington was credited with having designed over 200 bridges and $100,000,000 worth of infrastructure (as of 1930).[2] Some of Harrington's notable creations include:

Death

John Harrington died on May 20, 1942, in Kansas City. He is buried at Forest Hill Calvary Cemetery.[11][citation needed]

Selected publications

References

  1. ^ Carl W. Hall (2008) A Biographical Dictionary of People in Engineering. p. 94
  2. ^ a b c d "John Harrington, Bridge Builder, 73" (PDF). The New York Times. May 21, 1942. p. 19. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  3. ^ Motter, H.L., ed. (1911). The International Who's Who: Who's Who in The World (1912 ed.). New York City: The International Who's Who. pp. 573–574. Retrieved May 30, 2021 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ a b "Legacy of Waddell & Harrington Sets Stage for Future Success". Hardesty & Hanover.
  5. ^ "Supply Trade News". Railway Age Gazette. Vol. 57, no. 20. 1914. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  6. ^ Casella, Richard M. (June 2019). Historic Moveable Bridges of New Hampshire (PDF). New Hampshire Department of Transportation. p. 7. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  7. ^ Nyman, William E. (2002). Dr. J. A. L. Waddell's Contributions to Vertical Lift Bridge Design (PDF). p. 12. Retrieved June 2, 2021. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  8. ^ "Hawthorne Vertical Lift Bridge". Hardesty & Hanover. May 12, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  9. ^ Frank Morgan Cortelyou (1886-1976) (PDF). Kansas City, MO: The State Historical Society of Missouri Research Center-Kansas City. May 10, 2013. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  10. ^ "Harrington, John Lyle (1868-1942), Biographical Material" (PDF). State Historical Society of Missouri. Retrieved February 22, 2015.[dead link]
  11. ^ "John Lyle Harrington". The Springfield News-Leader. May 21, 1942. p. 10. Retrieved October 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
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