Page 6 - 2020 February E-issue

Rochester History A Sampling from the Archives of the

Rochester Engineering Society...1897 - 1971
by Lee M. Loomis

Continuing with the historical sampling of the earlier June 9, 1971 (Board Meeting, Treadway Inn)
writings on behalf of the Rochester Engineering Society, Te Board approved six new applications for Regular
the years following "Te Great War," into and through the Membership and three for Junior Membership.
Great Depression, continued to be a time of reaching out A proposal by Dr. Harry Sine of the Rochester
for the maturing Society, both locally and nationally. Te Committee for Scientifc Information, that the
meeting minutes describe a series of technical discussions and
presentations intended to broaden the technical horizons of the RES consider sponsoring an all-day symposium
membership (especially the CE's, ME's and EE's). Te RES on successfully run solid waste landflls, received
afliated itself with a number of National technical societies, considerable discussion, following which the Board
adopted local Afliated Societies, frequently held joint meetings approved $750 in funding to support the inclusion of
with them and continued taking action on a growing list of public matters. Certain several experts on this subject.
issues of standardization, some crucial to public safety, became the responsibility of the
RES and its afliates. In the pervasive economic downturn of the Great Depression, Te Rochester Engineer (June 1971)
the magazine ofered classifed advertising for unemployed engineers, technicians In thanking the RES staf and membership for their eforts during
and draftsmen and took other steps to try to deal with the crisis. Still, it continued
its efort to shape the function, purpose and infrastructure of the City of Rochester, the past year, outgoing President, G. Robert Leavitt pointed out some
and beyond. World War again afected the Society, taking away many of its leaders recent successes of the Society, including Operation RESOURCE, the
while providing opportunities for others to step forward to fll these vacancies. In an upcoming Fall 1972 Info Expo, establishment of a very successful
efort to provide even greater perspective on the happenings and concerns of the day, RES Explorer Post, and the continuing work of the Education
a synopsis, featuring selected items from "Te Rochester Engineer" has become an Committee in bringing a variety of inspiring technical presentations
integral part of this series. Te Second World War and the Korean Confict are now to the Engineering Community. An article celebrating the life-long
history, and the Vietnam War has recently become a focal point. Tese experiences contributions of RES Executive Secretary O. Laurence Angevine
have changed the face and, no doubt, the future of the community. Te Rochester to the Rochester Engineering Community also announced the
municipal leadership and the industrial community have become immersed in the establishment of a memorial fund in his honor. Te RES announced
cold-war, growth economy.
the establishment of a relationship with the NYS Department of Labor
Te Rochester Engineer (May 1971) and the California Department of Human Resources for the purpose of
What Youve Always Wanted to Know about Engineers (But Were matching engineers, scientists and employers in the Rochester area with
Afraid to Ask), was the title of the RES Annual Meeting presentation employment opportunities through the use of computers programmed
by Dr. Lane H. Riland, Director of Psychological Research & Services, for this purpose. Candidate Registration Forms for accessing this service
Eastman Kodak Company. Tis being the annual RES Ladies would be available, upon request to the RES ofce, without regard to an
Night event, Dr. Rilands address promised to include a psychological individuals RES membership status.
profle of the typical engineer, and the ramifcations with regard to his
roles (Editor s note: Yes, thats what the article says!) as practitioner, September 8, 1971 (Board Meeting, Bausch & Lomb)
consultant, supervisor, subordinate and husband! In the spirit of the Te Board approved four new Regular Membership applications,
RES recent Operation RESOURCE initiative, the frst in a series one upgrade from Junior Member and one Associate Membership.
of public forums, on May 10 , at Monroe Community College, was Disappointing sales of booth space to local commerce and industry,
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announced. Te featured speaker, Pliny Fisk, inventor and founder of despite consultation with several local public relations and advertising
the Waste Conversion Foundation of Croton-on Hudson, was billed as agencies, caused the Executive Committee to recommend the
a man to whom every pollutant is a waste asset, who claimed to have postponement of the Fall 1971 Info Expo to next year, 1972, the
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been working on sensible techniques for waste management for the past RESs 75 Anniversary. Te Board also approved the establishment of a
24 years. His organization was currently building a waste conversion $500 discretionary fund for use by the Planning Committee. A progress
plant in Secaucus, NJ, a fully-automated complex of machines which report by the Civic Afairs Committee on the status of Operation
take sewage solids, unseparated garbage and rubbish and grinds them RESOURCE included the announcement that they would be making
together. Ten it separates inorganic parts, washes them for industrial a preliminary presentation to the Monroe County Environmental
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use, and re-grinds the biodegradable into organic soil concentrate. Management Council on September 15 , in advance of the planned
RES President, G. Robert Leavitt, announced that subsequent November 11 public presentation and recommendation. Tere was
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meetings would be focused on other processes and methods of waste much discussion, in which concern was expressed that the RES must
management. It was announced that another meeting, this one on make it clear that the Society is NOT in competition with consulting
incineration, had been scheduled for May 20 , also at MCC. engineering frms. It was emphasized that the RES would continue to
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work with ANY consulting frm engaged by the County to develop a
June 2, 1971 (RES Annual Meeting, Rochester Yacht Club - proposal for solid waste management, and that ALL materials developed
Attendance - 33) by Operation RESOURCE would be made available to any such frm.
Te assembled membership heard a summary of the important Subsequent articles in this series will describe the RES' continuing outreach to other
contributions made by RES Past President, Dr. Edward Kirkpatrick, technical societies as it considered its role in this and the larger community, along
whose recent promotion to President of the Wentworth Institute, with more of the activities of the RES as it moved to be of greater service to its
Boston, MA would be taking him away from Rochester, where he had membership, especially those sufering from current economic crises, and adopted a
been serving the academic and engineering communities for the past greater role in shaping the future of the City and its environs. Noted also, will be the
seven years. RES Director, George Landberg, then introduced Dr. contributions made by RES members in the struggle to meet the challenges coming out
of World War II and the the Korean Confict, as well as a hoped-for period of post-
Lane Riland of Eastman Kodak Company who delivered a witty and war growth and prosperity. Tese articles will also feature an impressive array of RES
provocative presentation on the special qualities, and idiosyncracies, of activities in support of post-war re-emergence of Rochester area industry.
engineers.
We welcome your questions and comments on this series.
6 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER FEBRUARY 2020 res news - history