EE 5328 - Instrumentation and Measurement
Professor George V. Kondraske
gvk@hpi.uta.edu
(MUST include EE5328 as first text in "Subject" section
of ALL course e-mail.)
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Engineering
It is a great profession. There is the
fascination of watching a figment of the imagination emerge through the aid of
science to a plan on paper. Then it moves to realization in stone or metal or
energy. Then it brings jobs and homes to men. Then it elevates the standard of
living and adds to the comforts of life. That is the engineer's high privilege.
The great liability of the engineer compared to men of other professions is
that his works are out in the open where all can see them. His acts, step by
step, are in hard substance. He cannot bury his mistakes in the grave like the
doctors. He cannot argue them into thin air or blame the judge like the
lawyers. He cannot, like the architects, cover his failures with trees and
vines. He cannot, like the politicians, screen his shortcomings by blaming his
opponents and hope the people will forget. The engineer simply cannot deny he
did it. If his works do not work, he is damned. . . .
On the other hand, unlike the doctor, his is not a life among the weak. Unlike
the soldier, destruction is not his purpose. Unlike the lawyer, quarrels are
not his daily bread. To the engineer falls the job of clothing the bare bones
of science with life, comfort, and hope. No doubt as years go by the people
forget which engineer did it, even if they ever knew. Or some politician puts
his name on it. Or they credit it to some promoter who used other people's
money. . . . But the engineer himself looks back at the unending stream of
goodness which flows from his successes with satisfactions that few professions
may know. And the verdict of his fellow professionals is all the accolade he
wants.
Herbert Hoover
31st President of the United States