Charles Alton Ellis

Charles Alton Ellis (1876 – 1949) was a professor, structural engineer and mathematician who was chiefly responsible for the structural design of the Golden Gate Bridge.[1] Because of a dispute with Joseph Strauss, he was not recognized for his work when the bridge opened in 1937.

Charles Alton Ellis
Born1876
Parkman, Maine
DiedAugust 22, 1949(1949-08-22) (aged 72–73)
Evanston, Illinois
Occupationstructural engineer
Known forDesigning the Golden Gate bridge structure

Ellis was born in Parkman, Maine in 1876 and earned a degree in mathematics from Wesleyan University (where he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity) and a graduate certificate in engineering (C.E.) from the University of Illinois.[2][3] During his career, he was a professor at the University of Michigan, the University of Illinois, and Purdue University.[4]

A dispute over the time it was taking to complete the design led Strauss to accuse Ellis of wasting time and money, and to dismiss him from the project.[5] The copy of the engineering drawings for the Golden Gate Bridge on file at the Library of Congress is signed by Ellis,[6] but the plaque placed on the bridge in 1937 did not give him any credit.[7]

Ellis was officially given recognition for his part in the designing process of the Golden Gate Bridge.[8] A plaque honoring Ellis was installed on the south tower in 2012, to acknowledge his contrubutions.[9]

Notes
  1. "A GUIDE TO THE CHARLES A. ELLIS PAPERS" (PDF). Purdue University. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  2. Morris (2004), p. 4.
  3. "Golden Gate Bridge" (2004).
  4. Morris (2004), pp. 4–5.
  5. Daniels (2004).
  6. Morris (2004), p.13.
  7. Morris (2004), p.5.
  8. Nolte, Carl (May 11, 2007). "Golden Gate Bridge engineer finally gets recognition". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  9. Calvey, Mark (May 25, 2012). "Historian says building San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge took courageous banker". www.bizjournals.com. San Francisco Business Times. Retrieved 5 April 2020.

References
  • Daniels, Maria (April 16, 2004). "People & Events: Charles Alton Ellis (1876–1949)". American Experience website. Public Broadcasting Service. Archived from the original on March 27, 2009. Retrieved June 13, 2010.
  • Longsworth, Laura, and Ben Loeterman (producers); Loeterman, Ben (writer, director); Rutenbeck, James (editor) (2004). "Golden Gate Bridge". American Experience. Public Broadcasting Service. Archived from the original on 2011-07-11. yes. Retrieved 2017-08-25.
  • Morris, Sammie (October 4, 2004). "A Guide to the Charles A. Ellis Papers" (PDF). Purdue University Libraries Archives and Special Collections. West Lafayette Indiana: Purdue University. pp. 4–5.
  • van der Zee, John (2000). The Gate: The True Story of the Design and Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. Backinprint.com. ISBN 978-0-595-09429-5.
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