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Ralph Modjeski

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Ralph Modjeski
Born
Rudolf Modrzejewski

(1861-01-27)January 27, 1861
Bochnia,Poland
(thenAustrian Empire)
DiedJune 26, 1940(1940-06-26)(aged 79)
Los Angeles,California, United States
OccupationCivil engineer
AwardsHoward N. Potts Medal(1914)
Franklin Medal(1921)
John Fritz Medal(1930)

Ralph Modjeski(bornRudolf Modrzejewski;January 27, 1861 – June 26, 1940) was aPolish-Americancivil engineerwho achieved prominence as "America's greatest bridge builder."

He pioneered the use ofsuspension bridgesand oversaw the design and construction of nearly forty bridges that spanned the great rivers of North America, as well as the development of new rail lines. In addition, he trained succeeding generations of American bridge designers and builders, includingJoseph B. Strauss,chief engineer ofSan Francisco'sGolden Gate Bridge(which was completed six months after Modjeski'sSan Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge).

Formative years and family[edit]

Modjeski was born inBochnia,inGalicia,on January 27, 1861, to Gustav Sinnmayer Modrzejewski and actress Helena Opid Modrzejewska (best known outside Poland asHelena Modjeska). In 1865, his mother left Sinnmayer, and in 1868, she married polish nobleman Karol Bożenta Chłapowski. In July 1876, they emigrated to America, where, as a matter of convenience, the boy's mother changed her name toHelena Modjeskaand her son's name to Ralph Modjeski.[1]

He was a classmate ofIgnacy Jan Paderewskiin Poland and was a formidable pianist in his own right.

The son returned to Europe to study atl'Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées(the School of Bridges and Roads) inParis, France.It was in 1883, while studying at Paris, that he obtained American citizenship; however, he always maintained contact with Poland, wrote much in Polish, and emphasized his Polish origins.

In 1885, he graduated from the School of Bridges and Roads at the top of his class. That same year, he married a cousin Felicie Benda; the couple had three children. They divorced in 1931 after a sixteen-year-long separation. That same year, the now seventy-year-old Modjeski married Virginia Mary Giblyn.

Ralph Modjeski, 1914

Career[edit]

After completing his academic training, Modjeski returned to America to begin his career, working first under the "father of American bridge-building,"George S. Morison.In 1893, Modjeski opened his own design office inChicago.Joined in 1924 by Frank M. Masters Sr., the firm still exists as Modjeski & Masters.[2]

Modjeski's first project as chief engineer was therailroad bridgeacross theMississippi RiveratRock Island, Illinois.During his career, he served as chief or consulting engineer on dozens of bridges across the United States.

He took over the mis-designedQuebec Bridgeafter the 1907 disaster that killed seventy-five workers, and succeeded in creating the longesttruss spanin the world (though a construction accident killed another thirteen workers). It is still the longestcantilever bridgein the world.

Modjeski was the recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees. He received a doctorate in engineering fromIllinois State Universityin 1911, theFranklin Medalin 1923, a doctoratehonoris causafrom theLwów Polytechnicin 1929, and the prestigiousJohn Fritz Medalin 1930. He was elected to the United StatesNational Academy of Sciencesin 1925 and theAmerican Philosophical Societyin 1926.[3][4]In Modjeski's obituary, Frank Masters considered him "one of the world's leading bridge engineers."[5]APHMC Historical Markerwas dedicated in 2007 in commemoration.

Death[edit]

He died June 26, 1940, inLos Angeles, California,nearly 80 years old.

Notable projects[edit]

Benjamin Franklin Bridge
San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge
Blue Water Bridge
Ambassador Bridge

See also[edit]

Further reading[edit]

  • Glomb, Jozef (2002).A man who spanned two eras: The story of bridge engineer Ralph Modjeski.Peter J. Obst (trans.). Philadelphia: Kosciuszko Foundation.ISBN978-0-917004-25-4.

References[edit]

  1. ^Durand, W.F."Biographical Memoir of Ralph Modjeski"(PDF).National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Biographical Memoirs.XXIII(10th memoir).Retrieved7 November2023.
  2. ^"History".Modjeski and Masters.Retrieved2023-11-07.
  3. ^"Ralph Modjeski".nasonline.org.Retrieved2023-08-10.
  4. ^"APS Member History".search.amphilsoc.org.Retrieved2023-08-10.
  5. ^Masters, Frank (1941). "Memoir of Ralph Modjeski".Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers.105(1624).

External links[edit]

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