Charles Felton Scott: Engineer, educator, co-ordinator

NOT OFTEN in any profession, or in any generation, does there appear a man who follows youthful pioneering achievement by half a century of truly significant work; one who, having distinguished himself as inventor and engineer, displays equal ability as organizer and teacher. The life and work of Charles Felton Scott stand to prove that the combination can exist. One of the group of “great engineers” of the 90s, he was for 22 years (1911–33) head of the electrical engineering department of a great university, and at the age of 75 is still contributing vitally to the development of engineering as a profession. In the pattern of his rich accomplishment certain motifs recur consistently: the ability to perceive relationships, belief in co-operation, and a gift for applying the same simple scientific methods to the solution of whatever problems he encounters. One of the few surviving power-age pioneers, he is today perhaps more widely honored and more genuinely beloved than any other man in his profession.