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following year, and with his bride embarked on a cruise around the
world. During his absence Professor Phelon was acting head of the
department.
Professor French was in constant demand as a consulting engineer. He
had charge of the construction of the Harvard stadium in 1903, and
spent the summer of 1904 in Jamaica, B. W. I., as superintendent of
construction of a large concrete residence. In 1908 he had charge of
building the library of the American Antiquarian Society at Worcester,
which was erected with funds provided by Stephen Salisbury's
legacy. The Society had traded the Salisbury home and land with the
Art Museum for a fine tract at the corner of Park Avenue and Salisbury
Street. Also in 1908, Professor French was appointed chairman of a
Worcester commission on street congestion. The report of this
commission three years later was one of the best solutions ever
proposed. The failure of the city government to act upon the
recommendations of this report ultimately cost the city much money,
and condemned it to endure increasing inconvenience and traffic
hazards.
In order to meet an increasing demand for graduates with training in
Sanitary Engineering, the Civil Engineering department designed an
optional course in that branch, which was first offered in 1908 and
elected by about a third of the students in the department. Professor
Bird also introduced a new course in Shop Management, which was then a
novel feature in engineering education, and as such aroused much
interest among engineers and teachers. He also encouraged research in
the testing laboratories, particularly belt testing and studies of
lubricants and fuels. By personal solicitation, in 1911, he secured
about $9,000 from alumni and others for the purchase of testing
equipment, particularly a 400,000 pound capacity tension and
compression machine that had been used but a short time by the
U. S. Bureau of Commerce.
Dr. Engler travelled rather extensively and spoke before various
organizations on subjects as diverse as "Carlyle" and the "Magnetic
Survey." He also attended the inaugurations
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