The CE history topic this week is Orlando Belina Wheeler, [1835-1896]. Wheeler was an astronomer studying at the
Detroit Observatory on the University of Michigan campus. In 1879, UMich awarded him an honorary degree in Civil Engineering. Wheeler worked extensively on longitude determinations in the midwest and great lakes. He also worked extensively documenting the
transit of Venus, among the rarest of predictable astronomical phenomena. Wheeler took part in the
1874 transit of Venus observation party that went to Vladivostok, Russia as well as the
1882 Venus transit expedition to Patagonia in South America.
Wheeler closed out his career with work on the Missouri river commission. In 1896, ASCE honored Wheeler with a memoir in its Transactions. For more information on Wheeler read this great
article on his work.
Each month on the first Thursday at noon (EDT), we have a zoom cast of Civil Engineering history available on Wikipedia. In the next meeting in November, we will be discussing Orlando Belina Wheeler among others. Join us! Be civil and Wiki!This is the link: https://nyu.zoom.us/j/91393888805orJoin Zoom Meeting - Meeting ID: 913 9388 8805------------------------------
Michael O'Connor ,P.E., M.ASCE
------------------------------