Percy Pennybacker
Encyclopedia
Percy V. Pennybacker was a Texas
civil engineer
who pioneered the technology of welded structures, particularly for bridge
s.
. He served as a captain in the Army Air Service
during World War I
. After the war, he worked in Kansas
and Texas. During World War II
, he became interested in welded construction as an alternative to rivets. By promoting the use of welding
for heavy stress bridge design, he is credited with saving the state of Texas millions of dollars.
When he retired from the Texas Highway Department, he worked another three years for the city of Austin as a civil engineer.
He was honored as "Outstanding Engineer" by the Texas Society of Professional Engineers, was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers
, and brought the American Welding Society to Austin.
in 1884. Percy junior was born in Palestine, Texas
and was one of four children. His father, a school superintendent, suffered from diabetes and died of the disease in 1889 while Percy was young. Like his father, Percy too suffered from diabetes. After spending a year in the hospital as a young civil engineer, he became one of the first patients treated with insulin
. His mother Anna wrote and published A New History of Texas for Schools, which was adopted by the Texas Legislature
for use in public schools from 1898 through 1913. The family moved from Tyler to Austin
in 1900.
(a.k.a. the "360 bridge") in Austin, Texas
is named in his honor.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
who pioneered the technology of welded structures, particularly for bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
s.
Professional success
Pennybacker worked for the Texas Highway Department in the early 1900s designing bridges. He earned his civil engineering degree from the University of Texas at AustinUniversity of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. He served as a captain in the Army Air Service
United States Army Air Service
The Air Service, United States Army was a forerunner of the United States Air Force during and after World War I. It was established as an independent but temporary wartime branch of the War Department by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. After the war, he worked in Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and Texas. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he became interested in welded construction as an alternative to rivets. By promoting the use of welding
Welding
Welding is a fabrication or sculptural process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. This is often done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material that cools to become a strong joint, with pressure sometimes...
for heavy stress bridge design, he is credited with saving the state of Texas millions of dollars.
When he retired from the Texas Highway Department, he worked another three years for the city of Austin as a civil engineer.
He was honored as "Outstanding Engineer" by the Texas Society of Professional Engineers, was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
, and brought the American Welding Society to Austin.
Childhood
His father, also Percy V. Pennybacker, and mother Anna (Hardwicke) Pennybacker married in Tyler, TexasTyler, Texas
Tyler is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, in the United States. It takes its name from President John Tyler . The city had a population of 109,000 in 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau...
in 1884. Percy junior was born in Palestine, Texas
Palestine, Texas
Palestine is a city in Anderson County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 17,598, and 18,458 in the 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Anderson County and is situated in East Texas...
and was one of four children. His father, a school superintendent, suffered from diabetes and died of the disease in 1889 while Percy was young. Like his father, Percy too suffered from diabetes. After spending a year in the hospital as a young civil engineer, he became one of the first patients treated with insulin
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
. His mother Anna wrote and published A New History of Texas for Schools, which was adopted by the Texas Legislature
Texas Legislature
The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The Legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin...
for use in public schools from 1898 through 1913. The family moved from Tyler to Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
in 1900.
Non-professional life
He married Mary Alice. A life-long and faithful Episcopalian, he helped found St. George's Episcopal Church in Austin.Recognition
The iconic Pennybacker BridgePennybacker Bridge
The Pennybacker Bridge in Austin, Texas bridges Lake Austin to connect north and south Loop 360 highway, also known as the "Capital of Texas Highway." The road is widely considered one of the most scenic urban drives in central Texas, in large part due to this arched weathering steel bridge and...
(a.k.a. the "360 bridge") in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
is named in his honor.