Charles Hershfield
Encyclopedia
Charles Hershfield, B.Sc., M.A.Sc, F.E.I.C, P.Eng. (1910–1990) was widely recognized by the engineering community and known for his innovative structural engineering
solutions, as a Senior Assistant Engineer and Lieutenant
with the Department of National Defense
, a Professor at the University of Toronto
, as co-founder of the North American firm Morrison Hershfield
, and as a prolific author. He was a lifelong advocate of education and the engineering profession.
in the mid 1890's for Manitoba, Canada in search of greater opportunities and in the hopes of starting a family. On December 24, 1910 their son Charles Hershfield was born. As a child and later in his teens, Charles’ interests resided in music, baseball
, carpentry
, and mechanical engineering
. He attended St.John’s High School in Winnipeg
, Manitoba and even from a young age, highly valued his education.
Charles later studied engineering at the University of Manitoba
. Working with two of his classmates, H.F. Peters and W.Gruber, Charles submitted the thesis “Some Tests of Welded Joints”. Charles graduated in 1930 with the degree of Bachelor of Science
in civil engineering
.
During the summer periods as an undergraduate Charles worked for the Dominion Bridge Company
in Winnipeg. Upon graduation and until 1932, in conjunction with the Winnipeg City Engineer, he was involved with structural design of bridges, viaducts and subways.
Several years later Charles continued his education and received the degree of Master of Applied Science
from the University of Toronto in 1950. His master’s thesis was titled “Series Expansion of Joint Rotations for the Analysis of Rigidly Framed Structures “.
From 1941 to 1943 he was a staff member of the Canadian Department of National Defense, Naval Service, Works and Building Branch as Senior Assistant Engineer, with the rank of Lieutenant. His work during this time included structural design on naval shore establishments including shops, storage facilities, training buildings, and drill halls, of wide variety as to size and materials of construction.
After leaving the naval service in 1943, Charles joined the staff of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto. Charles taught a variety of courses related to structural engineering and supervised many graduate students. He was also principal instructor in structural engineering in the School of Architecture at University of Toronto.
In 1946 Charles along with Carson Morrison
, Joe Millman, and Mark Huggins, responded to the post-war building boom by founding the engineering consulting firm Morrison Hershfield Millman and Huggins. The firm today exists under the name Morrison Hershfield
, with offices across North America specializing in multidisciplinary engineering and related expertise.
Charles retired from teaching at the University of Toronto in 1976 after 31 years of service but continued to work closely with Morrison Hershfield almost up to the time of his death.
Structural engineering
Structural engineering is a field of engineering dealing with the analysis and design of structures that support or resist loads. Structural engineering is usually considered a specialty within civil engineering, but it can also be studied in its own right....
solutions, as a Senior Assistant Engineer and Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
with the Department of National Defense
Department of National Defence (Canada)
The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
, a Professor at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, as co-founder of the North American firm Morrison Hershfield
Morrison Hershfield
Morrison Hershfield is an employee-owned professional services firm providing engineering and management consulting services in the areas of energy and...
, and as a prolific author. He was a lifelong advocate of education and the engineering profession.
Early life & education
Charles' parents Aaron and Molly Hershfield left Teofipol, UkraineUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
in the mid 1890's for Manitoba, Canada in search of greater opportunities and in the hopes of starting a family. On December 24, 1910 their son Charles Hershfield was born. As a child and later in his teens, Charles’ interests resided in music, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, carpentry
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
, and mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
. He attended St.John’s High School in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba and even from a young age, highly valued his education.
Charles later studied engineering at the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
. Working with two of his classmates, H.F. Peters and W.Gruber, Charles submitted the thesis “Some Tests of Welded Joints”. Charles graduated in 1930 with the degree of Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
.
During the summer periods as an undergraduate Charles worked for the Dominion Bridge Company
Dominion Bridge Company
Dominion Bridge Company Limited was a Canadian steel bridge constructor originally based in Lachine, Quebec. From the core business of steel bridge component fabrication, the company diversified into related areas such as the fabrication of holding tanks for pulp mills and skyscraper framing.Other...
in Winnipeg. Upon graduation and until 1932, in conjunction with the Winnipeg City Engineer, he was involved with structural design of bridges, viaducts and subways.
Several years later Charles continued his education and received the degree of Master of Applied Science
Master of Applied Science
Master of Applied Science is a professional Master's degree...
from the University of Toronto in 1950. His master’s thesis was titled “Series Expansion of Joint Rotations for the Analysis of Rigidly Framed Structures “.
Working life
In 1935 Charles moved to Toronto, Ontario and until 1941 was employed with Standard Iron and Steel Works where his skills and services were focused in structural design, estimating, contracting, detailing and supervision of the fabrication and erection of steel structures.From 1941 to 1943 he was a staff member of the Canadian Department of National Defense, Naval Service, Works and Building Branch as Senior Assistant Engineer, with the rank of Lieutenant. His work during this time included structural design on naval shore establishments including shops, storage facilities, training buildings, and drill halls, of wide variety as to size and materials of construction.
After leaving the naval service in 1943, Charles joined the staff of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto. Charles taught a variety of courses related to structural engineering and supervised many graduate students. He was also principal instructor in structural engineering in the School of Architecture at University of Toronto.
In 1946 Charles along with Carson Morrison
Carson Morrison
Carson F. Morrison, P.Eng. was a university professor, innovative engineer, magazine editor, co-founder of the North American firm Morrison Hershfield, and president of a standards association. He was considered to be a touchstone for professional ethics and morality in engineering...
, Joe Millman, and Mark Huggins, responded to the post-war building boom by founding the engineering consulting firm Morrison Hershfield Millman and Huggins. The firm today exists under the name Morrison Hershfield
Morrison Hershfield
Morrison Hershfield is an employee-owned professional services firm providing engineering and management consulting services in the areas of energy and...
, with offices across North America specializing in multidisciplinary engineering and related expertise.
Charles retired from teaching at the University of Toronto in 1976 after 31 years of service but continued to work closely with Morrison Hershfield almost up to the time of his death.
Notable projects
- Assisted with complex structural design of the roof for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival Theatre, Stratford, OntarioStratford, OntarioStratford is a city on the Avon River in Perth County in southwestern Ontario, Canada with a population of 32,000.When the area was first settled by Europeans in 1832, the townsite and the river were named after Stratford-upon-Avon, England. It is the seat of Perth County. Stratford was...
(1957) - Designed the complex structural roofing system for the Ontario Pavilion Building at Expo 67Expo 67The 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67, as it was commonly known, was the general exhibition, Category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It is considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century, with the...
, Montreal, Quebec (1967) - Assisted with the expansion of the Toronto Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
- University of Toronto Medical Science Building, Toronto, Ontario
Awards and achievements
- Elected to the grade of Partner with the Engineering Institute of Canada, 1955.
- Member of the Publications Committee, for the Engineering Journal, 1970-74.
- Elected to Fellow of the Engineering Institute of CanadaEngineering Institute of CanadaThe Engineering Institute of Canada is a federation of twelve engineering societies based in Canada, covering a broad range of engineering branches, and with a history going back to 1887...
, 1974. - Consulting Engineer Designation, Association of Professional Engineers, 1974.
- Member of the Committiee of Examiners, Ontario Association of Architects, 1974–82
- Member of the Canadian Standards AssociationCanadian Standards AssociationThe Canadian Standards Association, also known as the CSA, is a not-for-profit Standards organization with the stated aim of developing standards for use in 57 different areas of specialisation...
Standards Policy Board, 1977-78. - Requalifed as a Designated Consulting Engineer, Association of Professional Engineers, 1979.
- Awarded the Engineering Medal by the Association of Professional Engineers OntarioProfessional Engineers OntarioProfessional Engineers Ontario, PEO, is the self-regulatory body that governs Ontario's 73,000 professional engineers, and sets standards for and regulates engineering practice in the province. It has a statutory mandate under the Professional Engineers Act of Ontario to protect the public interest...
, 1982. - Served as a Structural Engineer on the OAA Committee of Examiners, 1982.
- Upon his death, the University of Toronto set up the Charles Hershfield Memorial Scholarship fund to acknowledge Charles’ significant accomplishments as a structural engineer and professor. This scholarship is given to outstanding graduate students in structural engineering, established in 1990.
Technical papers
- Roof Structure of New Theatre for Stratford Shakespearean Festival: a proposal on the Stratford Shakespearean Festival Theatre roof based on analytical methods and techniques used, 1956-1957.
- One Cycle Moment Distribution for Structural Analysis: Presented in a meeting to the Engineering Institute of Canada, 1959.
- Exploiting the Structural Potentials of Woven Fabrics: A paper regarding an increase in the variety of woven fabrics available and a corresponding increase in the possibilities of using them to great advantage to form parts or all of the structure for certain types of buildings, 1967.
- Civil Engineering Education in Canada, Present and Future: Written with fellow colleague G.W. Heinke at the University of Toronto and also a member of the Engineering Institute of Canada. This paper reviews a study taken place in 1968, looking at the opinions of all U of T department staff, present and former students, practising engineers from industry and government, as well as staff and administrators from a variety of technological institutes, Paper presented at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Engineering Institute of Canada, Vancouver, September 1969. Published in the Engineering Journal in January 1970.