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Early Years of the ASCE Metropolitan Section Print E-mail
ASCE Metropolitan SectionThe ASCE New York Section (later called the Metropolitan Section) was established with an organizational meeting on February 18, 1920. In the early years of the Section, monthly meetings were held from October to May inclusive, at which papers and informal talks are presented. These meetings developed a keen interest in various topics relating to the many current engineering activities not only of the New York District but of the nation. The discontinuance of monthly meetings by the National Society eliminated the principal opportunity for the members of District No. 1 to get together socially to renew and extend their friendships, except for the annual meeting in January. Consequently a social session at the close of the technical program was made a feature of all Section meetings.

1920
2/18  Organizational Meeting of twenty members.
3/31  Section matters and a discussion on "A Bill for Licensing Engineers in New York"
5/12  "The Railroad Question in Relationship to the Metropolitan District" (Annual Meeting)

1920-1921
10/20 "Local Distribution of Freight and Food Products"
11/17 "Urban and Suburban Passenger Transportation"
12/15 "The Port of New York"
1/12  "Water Supply and Sanitation for the Metropolitan District, including Disposal of Sewage and Solid Waste"
2/9    "Heat, Light and Power for the Metropolitan District" (Joint Meeting)
3/16  "Streets and Parks of the Metropolitan District"
4/20  "Section matters and a discussion of proposed new Constitution of the Society.
5/11  "Bridges and Tunnels for the Metropolitan District"
5/18  "What is the New York Metropolitan District?" (Annual Meeting)

1921-1922
10/18 "Financing of Large Engineering Projects, including Public Utilities, Industrial and General Engineering Projects" (Joint Meeting)
11/14 "The St. Lawrence Ship Canal and Power Project" (Joint Meeting)
12/21 "The Zoning Law—What it Has Done for New York"
1/11  "Traffic Handling—Its Engineering as well as Regulatory Aspects"
2/15  "How Can the New York Transit Problem be Solved?"
3/15  "Development of the Port of New York" (Joint Meeting)
4/14  "Muscle Shoals as a Power and Nitrate Producer" (Joint Meeting)
5/17  "Need of Regional Planning for the New York District" (Annual Meeting)
A Structural Sub-Section held three meetings as follows:
3/8    "The Importance of the Design of Details as Evidenced by Recent Theatre Failures"
4/14  "Structural Design and Details—The Responsibility of the Engineer"
5/17  "How Much Detail Should be included in Specifications"

1922-1923
10/18 "Structural Engineering" and "The Proposed Improvement of the Rhine and the Grand Canal d’Alsace"
11/15 "Relations Between Engineers and Contractors"
12/13 "The Elimination of Waste in Government Engineering" (Joint Meeting)
1/10  "The Operation of the Panama Canal"
2/23  "The Great Western Power Company Development in California"
3/21  "Hydro-Electric Power for the New York-New Jersey Metropolitan District" (Joint Meeting)
4/18  "The Engineering of the Ancients"
5/8    "The Engineer in Public Affairs" (Special Joint Meeting)
5/16  Annual Meeting and Discussion of Report of Committee on Structural Safety
The Structural Sub-Section held two meetings as follows:
11/15 "Bridge Specifications" with "D.B. Steinman’s Proposed Engine Loads"
1/31   "Specifications for Steel Structures"

1923-1924
10/17 "The Relationship and Responsibility of the Architect and the Engineer in the Matter of Safety in Building Construction"
11/21 "Water Transportation"
12/19 "Transportation by Bridges"
1/9    "The Electrical Systems of New York and New Jersey" (Joint Meeting)
2/5    "Industrial Preparedness as Insurance Against War" (Special Joint Dinner Meeting)
2/13  "Shall the Construction of Interstate Vehicular River Crossing be Turned over to the Port of New York Authority?"
2/27  "The Real Meaning of Super-Power and Its Relation to Railway Electrification" (Joint Meeting)
3/19  "The Railroad Transportation Problem in the Port of New York Authority Territory"(Joint Meeting)
4/16  "Air Service and the Development of Aeronautics"
5/21  "The Expansion of Activities in the Local Section" (Annual Meeting)

1924-1925
10/15 "The Radio Industry"
11/19 "New York City Traffic Problems" (Joint meeting)
12/17 "Aerial Mapping for Civil and Military Purposes" (Joint meeting)
1/14  "Electricity and Matter in Five Minutes" and "X-Rays and Their Uses" (Joint Meeting)
2/19  "The Hudson River Connecting Railroad Development (South of Albany)"
3/18  "The Engineer as an Executive" (Joint Meeting)
4/15  "A Trip Through Northeastern Brazil, with a Visit to Some of the Reclamation Works of the Brazilian Government"
5/20  Annual Meeting and papers on "The Design of Stadia," "Color Effects Obtainable with Concretes" and "Disposal of Excess Activated Sludge by Digestion"

1925-1926
10/21 "Earthquake Phenomena and Possible Means for Predicting Tremors"
11/18 "Accident Prevention Conference" (Joint Meeting)
12/4  "Industrial Cooperation with the War Department" (Special Joint Meeting)
12/6  "New Method of Subway Construction"
2/18  "The Effect of the Diesel Electric Locomotive on Heavy Electrification" (Joint Meeting)
3/17  "Proposed Legislation for Structural Safety"
4/14  "Qualifying Engineers for High Executive Positions" (Joint Meeting)
5/19  Annual Meeting and papers on "Planning the State of New York" and "The Westchester County Park System"

1926-1927
10/20 "Foundations" (Joint Meeting)
11/17 "Accident Prevention in the Construction Industry"
12/15 "The Engineer—Wage Earner or Professional"
1/5    "Arterial Highways"
2/16  "The Hudson River Bridge at 178th Street"
3/16  "The Planning and Construction of the Holland Tunnel" (Joint Meeting)
4/20  "The New York Sewage Problem, and the Jamaica Sewage Disposal Plant"
5/18  "Progress in Aerial Surveying" (Annual Meeting)

1927-1928
10/19 "Airports in the Metropolitan Area" (Joint Meeting)
11/16 "Highway Developments in the Metropolitan Area of New Jersey"
12/21 "Civil Engineering Features of the East River Station, New York Edison Company"
1/4    "Mississippi River and New England Floods" (Joint Meeting)
2/15  "Economics of High Buildings"
3/21  "Developments in the Use of Welding" (Joint Meeting)
4/18  "The Operation of the Holland Tunnel"
5/16  "Foundations of the Fort Lee Bridge" (Annual Meeting)

1928-1929
10/9   "Airport Requirements of the Metropolitan Area" (Joint Meeting)
11/21 "Special Features of Subway Construction"
12/19 "Proposed Narrows Bridge"
1/2    "Modification of the Engineering License Law"
2/20  "Westchester County Sewage Disposal"
3/20  "The Boulder Canyon Project"
4/17  "Freight Handling Through the Port of New York"
5/15  "Construction of the Cascade Tunnel" (Annual Meeting)
6/5    "Swiss Engineering Developments" (Special Meeting)

1929-1930
10/16 "International Railways of Central America"
11/20 "Recent Developments in Structural Welding" (Joint Meeting)
12/18 "Construction of the Todd Graving Dock"
1/8    "License Law Legislation: Charges and Methods of Making Charges for Professional Services" (Special Meeting)
1/24  "Reclamation Construction and Economic Results" (Joint Meeting)
2/19  "New York Central West Side Improvements"
3/19  "Lackawanna Railway Terminal" (Joint Meeting)
4/16  "New York Metropolitan Transit"
5/21  "West Side Elevated Highway" (Annual Meeting)

1930-1931
10/15 "Increasing Vehicular Capacity of Existing Bridges and the Planning of New Traffic Facilities"
11/5   "Light and Its Use" (Special Meeting)
11/19 "Soil Pressures and Foundation Studies"
12/17 "Current Practice in Subaqueous Tunnels"
1/7    "Methods of Construction Employed on the Bank of Manhattan Building"
2/18  "The 38th Street-East River Vehicular Tunnel"
2/25  "Commemorative Aeronautic Meeting" (Joint Meeting)
2/25  "Greater New York Safety Conference" (Joint Meeting)

1931-1932
6/9 "Welding"
10/21 "The George Washington Bridge"
11/18 "New Features of the Independent Subway System for New York City"
12/16 "Development of the Long Island State Park System"
1/6   "The Delaware Water Supply"
2/9   "Structural Welding Symposium" (Joint Meeting)
2/24 "Greater New York Safety Conference" (Joint Meeting)
3/24 "Limiting the Size of Buildings and Suggested Regional Plan Standards"
4/20 "Sewage Disposal Problems in the Metropolitan District"
5/18 "A Normal Program for Public Works Construction to Stimulate Trade Recovery and Revive Employment" (Annual Meeting)

1932-1933
10/19 "Port Authority Inland Terminal"
11/16 "The Relation of Certain Cement Characteristics to the Qualities of Concretes and Mortars"
12/21 "The Hoover Dam"
1/11  "Parkways and Main Traffic Routes"
2/15  "The Future of Electrical Energy Distribution"
3/15  "The Fulton Street-East River Rapid Transit Tunnel"
4/19  "Recent Engineering Advancements in Aviation"
5/17  "The Rockefeller Center Development Program" (Annual Meeting)

1933-1934
10/18 "Codes for the Construction Industry under the National Industrial Recovery Act"
11/15 "Engineering and Graphic Arts"
12/20 "The Improvement of the Mississippi River and The Work of the U.S. Waterways Experiment Station at Vicksburg, Mississippi"
1/10  "Geologic Features of Certain Large Current Engineering Projects"
2/21  "The Water Supply of the Boston Metropolitan District"
3/13  "Special Features of the Boulder Dam Project, including the Manufacture and Placing of the Steel Penstocks and the Stresses and Strains Involved." (Joint Meeting)
3/21  "The Problems of Modern Astronomy"
4/18  "Destructive Earthquakes, Their Probable Frequency and Magnitude in this Region"
5/16  "Meteorology, Its Importance to the Engineer" (Annual Meeting)

1934-1935
8/8   "Concerning the U.S. Navy" (Joint Meeting)
10/17 "Recent Practice in the Design and Construction of Caissons and Piers"
11/21 "The Engineer in Latin America"
12/19 "Construction Codes"
1/9    "Photography, Absorbing Hobby and Technical Aid"
1/22  "The Use of Treated Timber in Waterfront Structures and Its Resistance to Attacks of Marine Borers" (Joint Meeting)
2/18  "The Relation of the Government to the Engineer"
3/20  "An Inventory and A Plan for Development of the Water Resources of the United States"
4/17  "Europe’s Answer to Trans-River Vehicular Traffic"
5/15  "The Airport Facilities of the Port of New York" (Annual Meeting)

1935-1936
10/16 "New York and New Jersey Rapid Transit"
11/20 "Public Works of the U.S. Navy, including Shore Station Power Plant Problems"
12/18 "Air Conditioning"
1/22  "Beach Erosion and Protection"
2/4    "Steel Dams" (Joint Meeting)
2/19  "Parkway Systems of New York City and Surrounding Territory"
3/18  "Sewage Treatment in New York City"
4/15  "The Teredo Threat in New York Harbor"
5/20  "What is The Society Doing for Its Members?" (Annual Meeting)

1936-1937
10/21 "New York City Traffic Problems"
11/18 "The Triborough Bridge"
12/16 "The Midtown Hudson Tunnel"
1/8    "General and Engineering Aspects of the New York World’s Fair" (Joint Meeting)
2/17  "New Developments in Building Materials"
3/17  "Geology and Civil Engineering"
4/21  "The Delaware System of the New York City Water Supply"
5/19  "The Local Section in Action" (Annual Meeting)

1937-1938
10/20 "Recent Trends in Cement Technology and Their Effects on Engineering Construction"
11/17 "New Developments in Alloy Structural Steels" (Joint Meeting)
12/15 "The Weather Bureau’s Contribution to the Solution of Hydrologic Problems"
1/12  "Structural Steel Welding"
2/16  "Extension of the West Side Express Highway North of 72nd Street and the Henry Hudson Parkway"
3/23  "Railroad Electrifications—Its Accomplishments and Outlook"
4/20  "The Works Progress Administration"
5/18  "Grand Coulee Dam" Effective Speaking Contest for Juniors. Awarding of Student Chapter Prizes (Annual Meeting)

1938-1939
10/19 "Labor Relations in the Construction Industry"
11/16 "Welding in the Structural Field" and "Structural Fabrication by Welding" (Joint Meeting)
12/21 "Park, Playground, and Parkway Developments in New York City and Long Island"
1/11  "The Cut-Offs of the Mississippi River"
2/15  "Engineering the New York World’s Fair" (Joint Meeting)
3/15  "Manhattan Borough Works"
4/19  "The Housing Program in Greater New York"
5/17  "Schooling and Education of Civil Engineers" (Annual Meeting)

1939-1940
10/18 "Railway Transportation and the Functions, Opportunities and Advantages for Civil Engineers in Railway Service"
10/31 "Problems of the Highway User in the United States" (Joint Meeting)
11/15 "Engineering and Construction Features of the Pennsylvania Turnpike"
11/21 "Research in Civil Engineering" (Joint Meeting)
12/20 "Structural Welding in the Tacoma-Narrows Bridge" and "Shear Tests of Plug and Slot Welds" (Joint Meeting)
1/10  "Engineering Features of the Modern Radio"
2/21  "Public Works Under the Army Engineers"
3/20  "Floods and Flood Control"
4/17  "The Queens Midtown Tunnel"
5/15  "An Engineer’s Approach to an Industrial Problem" (Annual Meeting)

1940-1941
10/16 "Public Works of the Navy and National Defense"
11/20 "Civil Defense Measures in War-Time"
12/18 "The Relation of the Rearmament Effort to the Civil Engineering Profession"
1/8   "Military Aircraft Design and Performance"
2/19  "The Development of Rapid Transit in New York—1900 to the 6th Avenue Subway"
3/19  "Use of Welding in National Defense" (Joint Meeting)
4/16  "Engineering Training for Defense"
5/21  "The Sewage Disposal Program of New York City" (Annual Meeting)

1941-1942
10/15 "Protective Concealment (Camouflage for Civilian Establishments)"
11/19 "Use of Models in Engineering Planning"
12/17 "Relieving Platform Bulkhead Walls"
1/14  "Engineering Opportunities in Latin America"
2/18  "Geologic Features of the Delaware Water Systems"
3/10  "Welded Bridges" and "Roads North" (Joint Meeting)
4/15  "Precautions to be Observed in the Use of Materials in Sub-Aqueous Harbor Construction"
5/20  "Construction Planning" (Annual Meeting)

1942-1943
10/21 "Modern Timber Design and Fabrication"
11/18 "Contracting Procedure under Present Government Regulations"
12/16 "Construction of Graving Docks by the Tremie Method"
1/13  "A Long Time Program of Cement Research"
2/17  "Driving a 13-Mile Tunnel"
3/17  "Construction of an Off-Continent Defense Base"
4/21  "Recent Developments in Ship-building Facilities"
5/19  "Preparing for Public Works in the Post-War Period" (Annual Meeting)

1943-1944
10/20 "Post-War Construction"
11/17 "Engineering Highlights of The ‘Normandie’ Salvage"
12/15 "United States War Construction in Britain And The Middle East"
1/11  "Army Construction Engineers in the Persian Corridor"
2/16  "Development of Modern Explosives"
3/15  "Welding in Post-War Steel Construction—Control of Welding Procedure and Details of Design for Ships, Bridges and other Large Welded Structures"
4/19  "Engineers to Build China of Tomorrow"
5/17  "War Jobs and Then What?" (Annual Meeting)