Rise of the engineer — Executive

A recent survey by Scientific American reveals some dramatic trends in the top management structure of 600 of our largest nonfinancial corporations Education — particularly in the scientific and engineering disciplines — holds more weight today in the corporate industrial community than a wealthy and influential father. In short, the rags-to-riches theme of the popular dime-novel hero, as portrayed by Horatio Alger more than 60 years ago, is fast becoming a reality as an ever-increasing percentage of professional men from humble origins make their mark in the top slots of American industry.