Page 13 - MY STORY
P. 13
An escape from becoming a mechanical engineer trying
to make engineering drawings the rest of my life. So I
switched my major from mechanical to metallurgical
engineering in my sophomore year.
The newly formed department of metallurgical
engineering headed by Dean Otto Zmescal (ferrous
metallurgy) was top rate! The prime teaching staff
consisted of Max Hansen (physical metallurgy) and
Lucio Mondolfo (non-ferrous metals & processes). The
only issue that created a problem for me was the fact we
had to take a full three years of chemistry, along with
non-electives such as physics, electricity, statics,
dynamics, machine shop, and I think some other liberal
arts stuff. It wasn’t until my junior year that I finally
broke free of my torpor and climbed out of probation.
Metallurgy had really “turned me on” and the
combinations of classes, taught by experts in their field,
and tours of industry around the Chicago area, along with
applying math and science to problem-solving created a
new and exciting world for me. It was common for
classmates to critique our curriculum that required
English, chemistry, electricity (DC & AC), along with
other required liberal arts courses – the thinking prevailed