The Watertown Weekly Leader

Demand for U. W. Engineers.

Building bridges, constructing railroads, reclaiming arid land, working in gas, telephone, electric and water plants, busy in great manufacturing factories, in mines and on railroads, 1,700 graduates of the college of engineering of the University of Wisconsin are scattered all over the United States and in many foreign countries.

There is almost no great engineering project launched in the country or its territories in which a Wisconsin engineer is not engaged in some capacity. Graduates are scattered over forty-two states, besides Alaska, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Philippine islands and the Panama canal zone. Ten foreign countries also employ Wisconsin engineers—Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, Argentine republic, England, France, Germany, Russia, China.

About forty-seven per cent are engaged by manufacturing concerns as superintendents, draftsmen, designers and in other capacities. More than nine per cent are in government service and nearly eleven per cent are engaged in teaching, one per cent in journalism; twelve per cent are consulting and contracting engineers, and about four per cent are salesmen for machinery companies.

Many large concerns send representatives annually to the university to secure engineers, and the number of others who call for men is increasing. There is an unusually large demand this year for engineering graduates. About 100 men will finish their courses in June, and already many firms have sent calls for men to the college of engineering.

An interesting feature is the growing practice of the smaller and more miscellaneous manufacturing companies to make use of technically educated men in both manufacturing and sales departments. Technical journalism is another new field for trained engineers which a number have entered. E. T. Howson, '06, civil engineering editor of the Railway Age Gazette, Chicago, is one of the most prominent of these.

Among the prominent graduates who hold important positions are Edward Schildhauer, electrical and mechanical engineer in charge of the canal; G. G. Thorpe, vice-president of the Illinois Steel company; J. G. Wray, chief engineer of the central group of Bell Telephone company lines; S. S. Rumsey, chief engineer of the Oliver Iron company, United States Steel corporation, and E. E. Hunner, general superintendent of the Great Northern ore properties at Duluth.