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Joseph Strauss

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Architect

The Resume

    (January 9, 1870-May 16, 1938)
    Born in Cincinnati, Ohio
    Structural engineer
    Designed over 400 bridges
    Chief engineer for the Golden Gate Bridge

Why he might be annoying:

    He originally proposed a hybrid suspension-cantilever design for the Golden Gate Bridge. Consulting engineer Leon Moisseiff convinced him the Bridge should be purely a suspension span.
    Most of the actual design of the Golden Gate Bridge was done by Charles Ellis. However, after Strauss accused Ellis of wasting time and fired him, he refused to publicly acknowledge Ellis' contributions.
    During construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, he disappeared for six months, fueling speculation that he had had a nervous breakdown. During his absence, he divorced his wife and married a singer many years his junior.
    He proposed building a railroad bridge across the Bering Strait to connect Alaska and Russia (1892).

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was president of his class at the University of Cincinnati.
    He revolutionized the design of drawbridges by using a pivoting counterweight, which let iron counterweights be replaced by lighter concrete ones (1902).
    He designed an 'aeroscope' ride (a glass-enclosed platform attached to a crane that lifted people 150 feet in the air) for the Panama-Pacific Exposition (1915).
    Concerned about worker safety, he had a net installed beneath the Golden Gate Bridge during construction. It saved 19 lives.
    At the opening ceremonies for the Golden Gate Bridge, he recited a poem he had written, 'The Mighty Task Is Done.' (May 27, 1937)

Credit: C. Fishel


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Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 9 Votes: 11.11% Annoying