Summary Notes on Sons of Martha (Civil Engineering Readings in Modern Literature), Collected and Edited by A. J. Fredrich, ASCE, 1989, 596 pages.

Summarized by J. T. P. Yao, 1/2/01

"Civil Engineering is a unusual profession. It has many dimensions, provides many opportunities, offers many challenges and promises many rewards. There are rewarding careers for those who prefer to work at a desk as well as for those who enjoy working outdoors; for those who are interested in working with things as well as those who prefer to work with people; and for those who want the security of employment as a salaried professional as well as those who seek the challenge of entrepreneurship as self-employed professionals. … The variety doesn't end with the many different types of work in which civil engineers are engaged. There is also an almost unlimited variety of locations where civil engineers may find employment opportunities. …"

"For almost any conceivable human motive or aspiration - fame, fortune, service, security - there is a niche in the civil engineering profession that provides the opportunity to find happiness and personal fulfillment. … The purpose of this collection is to provide in a single source a representative selection of readings that provide for the interested reader a reasonably accurate portrayal of the nature and scope of the civil engineering profession. A second objective is to stimulate interest in civil engineering and civil engineers on the part of those who benefit from the work of the profession but have heretofore thought little about the role of civil engineering in modern society. Finally, many civil engineers themselves seek to become more conversant with the many facets of their profession, particularly with the history and heritage of the profession, an aspect of engineering education that has not received enough attention in the recent past. …"

"Civil engineers have unquestionably played a crucial role in the evolution of civilization, but the profession has also been shaped by that evolution. In a sense, today's civil engineers have become the creatures of their own creation. … In the public view there is no such thing as a 'good' civil engineer or a 'bad' civil engineer, since society does not generally know civil engineers as individuals; there is only a 'good' or 'bad' civil engineering profession… Examination of the history and heritage of the civil engineering profession has two objectives: to develop an appreciation of the personal and professional standards that have produced professional status for the modern civil engineer; and to create an awareness of the necessity for maintaining those standards in order to preserve that status in the future." [followed by approximately 15 articles and 27 additional references on HISTORY AND HERITAGE.]

"The civil engineers in these readings are not necessarily the most famous or the most successful American civil engineers. Some are virtually unknown, even within the civil engineering profession, but each person portrays some interesting aspects of what it has meant to be a civil engineer at various times during this nation's history. … A major part of the job of the civil engineer today is to help society reconcile the conflicts inherent in choosing from among a variety of alternatives. … In fact, civil engineers have always had to be attuned to the social, political, economic and environmental consequences of their work. … Taken as a whole these readings reflect the diversity of the civil engineering profession and its inherent capability to accommodate a remarkable variety of personal types. …" [followed by approximately 17 articles and 21 additional references on CIVIL ENGINEERS.]

"The term 'infrastructure' has been used increasingly in recent years as a descriptor for the transportation facilities, utilities, public buildings and other similar civil engineering projects that collectively make up the 'built' part of our nation's environment. … Despite their importance, the existence of these projects has been taken for granted by most Americans. Little thought is given to how they came into being. Even less thought is given to the need for maintenance unless that work is deferred so long that deterioration becomes a obvious threat to public safety … or a persistent public nuisance … Dealing as they do with projects with long physical lives, civil engineering must be capable of dreaming about the future, of designing to withstand loads imposed by forces which today might seem to exist only in the abstract; of thinking the unthinkable and searching for ways to prevent it from becoming reality; of facing and living with uncertainty. They must be prepared to balance reductions in risk against increases in cost; aesthetics versus monetary expenditures; environmental quality versus economic development; and technical feasibility versus political reality. …" [followed by approximately 17 articles and 50 additional references on CIVIL ENGINEERING PROJECTS.]

"Civil engineers face ethical and professional problems different in many respects from the problems encountered in other professions. Foremost among these is the problem that the civil engineer's client is frequently the whole of society rather than a single individual. … Finding a means for developing civil engineering projects that reflect the needs of society as a whole - the powerless as well as the influential and those who cannot or do not voice their opinion as well as those who are outspoken - is one the most formidable tasks of the modern civil engineer in a democratic society. … In general, the readings herein are intended to be inspirational… A few of the readings do dwell on the negative consequences of a failure to recognize one's responsibility to the public at large. It is important to point out that situations conducive to moral and ethical failure exist within the profession in order to emphasize the need for developing an ability to think about philosophic issues and for forming proper moral values early in one's career." [followed by approximately 18 articles and 26 additional references on ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM.]

[Readers who are interested in these quotes are encouraged to read the original book in its entirety. Other summary notes on faculty reward systems are available on the Internet at http://lohman.tamu.edu under the heading "Summaries of Papers ..."]