Robert Doherty (college president)
Encyclopedia
Robert E. Doherty was an American
electrical engineer who served as the third President
of Carnegie Mellon University
in Pittsburgh
, Pennsylvania
, United States
.
, then a rural area without electricity or a telegraph office. When electricity was introduced there, it fascinated him. He began to learn telegraphy while in high school and after graduation, worked as a telegrapher for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. He saved his money to attend prep school. At age 21 he enrolled in the University of Illinois
hoping to study electrical engineering. He attended a lecture during his freshman year by Charles Steinmetz of the General Electric Company in Schenectady, New York
. It inspired him to take a position at GE after graduation.
By 1918 Steinmetz promoted Doherty to be his assistant, and he served in this role until Steinmetz's death in 1923. Doherty next became a full-time consulting engineer at GE and began to teach problem-solving courses within the company to newly hired engineers. During this time Doherty continued his studies and earned an M.S.
from Union College
. The Great Depression
took its toll on GE, however, and Doherty accepted an offer from Yale University
. He became dean of engineering at Yale in 1932. In 1936, he accepted the presidency at Carnegie Institute of Technology
, today's Carnegie Mellon.
He retired from Carnegie Tech in 1950 and died later that year at his home in Scotia, New York
. Doherty Hall, home of the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, as well as the Doherty Apartment dorms on Carnegie Mellon's campus are named for him.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
electrical engineer who served as the third President
Academic administration
An academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities...
of Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Early life
He was born in Clay City, IllinoisClay City, Illinois
Clay City is a village in Clay County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,000 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Clay City is located at ....
, then a rural area without electricity or a telegraph office. When electricity was introduced there, it fascinated him. He began to learn telegraphy while in high school and after graduation, worked as a telegrapher for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. He saved his money to attend prep school. At age 21 he enrolled in the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
hoping to study electrical engineering. He attended a lecture during his freshman year by Charles Steinmetz of the General Electric Company in Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
. It inspired him to take a position at GE after graduation.
By 1918 Steinmetz promoted Doherty to be his assistant, and he served in this role until Steinmetz's death in 1923. Doherty next became a full-time consulting engineer at GE and began to teach problem-solving courses within the company to newly hired engineers. During this time Doherty continued his studies and earned an M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
from Union College
Union College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
. The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
took its toll on GE, however, and Doherty accepted an offer from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He became dean of engineering at Yale in 1932. In 1936, he accepted the presidency at Carnegie Institute of Technology
Carnegie Institute of Technology
The Carnegie Institute of Technology , is the name for Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering. It was first called the Carnegie Technical Schools, or Carnegie Tech, when it was founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie who intended to build a “first class technical school” in Pittsburgh,...
, today's Carnegie Mellon.
Carnegie Tech years
Doherty's administration stressed graduate education. During his tenure the number of graduate students increased from 45 to 369. He also implemented an approach to undergraduate education in the 1940s called the "Carnegie Plan", a philosophy in which "students were taught to apply fundamental knowledge to solve practical problems and were required to learn about and appreciate academic disciplines outside their primary area of study". Doherty was unpopular with many students, however, when he de-emphasized football at Tech in the late 1930s, despite the national success of the team.He retired from Carnegie Tech in 1950 and died later that year at his home in Scotia, New York
Scotia, New York
Scotia is a village in Schenectady County, New York, United States, incorporated in 1904. The population was 7,957 at the 2000 census.The Village of Scotia is part of the Town of Glenville, partly contiguous with Schenectady, New York and is connected by the Western Gateway Bridge over the Mohawk...
. Doherty Hall, home of the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, as well as the Doherty Apartment dorms on Carnegie Mellon's campus are named for him.