William Barclay Parsons
Encyclopedia
William Barclay Parsons (April 15, 1859 – May 9, 1932) was an American civil engineer
. He founded the firm that became Parsons Brinckerhoff
, one of the largest American civil engineering firms.
William Parsons was the son of William Barclay Parsons and Eliza Livingston Glass. He was the great-grandson of Henry Barclay, second Rector of Trinity Church (Manhattan). In 1871 he went to school in Torquay
, England, and for the four years following studied under private tutors while traveling in France, Germany and Italy.
Parsons received a bachelor's degree
from Columbia College
in 1879, and a second from Columbia's School of Mines in 1882. He later served as chairman of the University's board of trustees.
From 1882 to the end of 1885, he was in the maintenance of way department of the New York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad. His first books had to do with railroad problems (Turnouts; Exact Formulae for Their Determination, 1884, and Track, A Complete Manual of Maintenace of Way, 1886), and this interest in rail transportation continued throughout his life.
Parsons designed the Cape Cod Canal
as Chief Engineer. He was also Chief Engineer of the New York Rapid Transit Commission, and as such responsible for the construction of the Interborough Rapid Transit
(IRT) subway
line.
In 1900 he published an account of his work as Chief Surveyor of China's Canton–Hankou Railway
. "...Parsons, acting for an American syndicate, accepted the direction of a survey of 1,000 miles of railway in China, primarily on the line from Hankow to Canton. The party passed through the then "closed province of Hu-nan, and the success of the entire venture depended not alone on the engineering skill but primarily upon the ability of the leader of the expedition to meet the extremely difficult diplomatic problems involved. Nevertheless, the mission was accomplished and the small group of American engineers, to the surprise of many of their friends, returned in safety. Parsons told the story of this adventure in An American Engineer in China" (1900).
"He was appointed to the Isthmian Canal Commission
in 1904, and early in 1905 went to Panama
as a member of the committee of engineers which subsequently reported in favor of a sea-level canal...In 1904 Parsons was also appointed, together with the famous British engineers Sir Benjamin Baker
and Sir John Wolfe-Barry
, to membership on a board to pass on the plans of the Royal Commission on London Traffic. He always considered his selection for the post one of the greatest of the many honors which came to him."
"In 1905, he had also been appointed chief engineer of the Cape Cod Canal
. Completed in 1914, it joined Massachusetts Bay
and Buzzards Bay
and demonstrated that a canal without locks could be built between two bodies of water where considerable tidal differences existed."
A part of 158th Street in Queens
was named after him as Parsons Boulevard, giving rise to the station names Parsons Boulevard
and Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer.
.
Willaim Parsons was the Colonel of the 11th Engineers of the American Expeditionary Force
(AEF) in France
during World War I
. "He participated in the engagement at Cambrai
, where, suddenly attacked by Germans while making railroad repairs, the engineers fought with picks and shovels. The 11th Engineers also fought in the Lys Defensive (Hundred Days Offensive
), and during the Saint-Mihiel (Battle of Saint-Mihiel
) and Argonne-Meuse Campaigns. His book, The American Engineers in France (1920), is a valuable and interesting record of these activities. He was cited for "specially meritorious services" and received decorations not only from the United States, but also from Great Britain
, France, Belgium
and the state of New York."
"The Americans were busy on the morning of November 3, 1917, building a railroad yard near the British front, when they were surprised by a sudden German advance. Without a moment's warning, the Germans concentrated a heavy artillery-fire on the yard. Lieutenant McLoud collected his men
and calmly marched them through the German barrage to a point of safety. They had retreated about two miles, when they chanced upon a number of British soldiers. McLoud at once took command and, rallying the troops, returned to the firing-line. On the way back the Americans met a British staff
officer, and with his aid they succeeded in getting additional arms and ammunition with which to equip the engineers of the party."
"After the war, he was transferred to the Engineers Reserve Corps with the rank of Brigadier General."
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...
. He founded the firm that became Parsons Brinckerhoff
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Parsons Brinckerhoff is a professional services firm with 14,000 employees in 150 offices providing construction and operation management, planning, design, engineering, program management, strategic consulting, environmental and sustainability services for clients and communities in the Americas,...
, one of the largest American civil engineering firms.
William Parsons was the son of William Barclay Parsons and Eliza Livingston Glass. He was the great-grandson of Henry Barclay, second Rector of Trinity Church (Manhattan). In 1871 he went to school in Torquay
Torquay
Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...
, England, and for the four years following studied under private tutors while traveling in France, Germany and Italy.
Parsons received a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from Columbia College
Columbia College of Columbia University
Columbia College is the oldest undergraduate college at Columbia University, situated on the university's main campus in Morningside Heights in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1754 by the Church of England as King's College, receiving a Royal Charter from King George II...
in 1879, and a second from Columbia's School of Mines in 1882. He later served as chairman of the University's board of trustees.
From 1882 to the end of 1885, he was in the maintenance of way department of the New York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad. His first books had to do with railroad problems (Turnouts; Exact Formulae for Their Determination, 1884, and Track, A Complete Manual of Maintenace of Way, 1886), and this interest in rail transportation continued throughout his life.
Parsons designed the Cape Cod Canal
Cape Cod Canal
The Cape Cod Canal is an artificial waterway traversing the narrow neck of land that joins Cape Cod to mainland Massachusetts.Part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the canal is roughly 17.4 miles long and connects Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south...
as Chief Engineer. He was also Chief Engineer of the New York Rapid Transit Commission, and as such responsible for the construction of the Interborough Rapid Transit
Interborough Rapid Transit Company
The Interborough Rapid Transit Company was the private operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT was purchased by the City in June 1940...
(IRT) subway
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
line.
In 1900 he published an account of his work as Chief Surveyor of China's Canton–Hankou Railway
Yuehan railway
The Guangdong–Hankou or Yuehan Railway is an older railway now incorporated into the Jingguang Railway. The original Canton–Hankow Railway ran from Guangzhou to Wuchang and was opened in 1936. Another line, the Peking–Hankow Railway ended across the river at Hankou...
. "...Parsons, acting for an American syndicate, accepted the direction of a survey of 1,000 miles of railway in China, primarily on the line from Hankow to Canton. The party passed through the then "closed province of Hu-nan, and the success of the entire venture depended not alone on the engineering skill but primarily upon the ability of the leader of the expedition to meet the extremely difficult diplomatic problems involved. Nevertheless, the mission was accomplished and the small group of American engineers, to the surprise of many of their friends, returned in safety. Parsons told the story of this adventure in An American Engineer in China" (1900).
"He was appointed to the Isthmian Canal Commission
Isthmian Canal Commission
The Isthmian Canal Commission was an American administration commission set up to oversee the construction of the Panama Canal in the early years of American involvement. Established in 1904, it was given control of the Panama Canal Zone over which the United States exercised sovereignty...
in 1904, and early in 1905 went to Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
as a member of the committee of engineers which subsequently reported in favor of a sea-level canal...In 1904 Parsons was also appointed, together with the famous British engineers Sir Benjamin Baker
Benjamin Baker
Sir Benjamin Baker KCB KCMG FRS FRSE was an eminent English civil engineer who worked in mid to late Victorian era. He helped develop the early underground railways in London with Sir John Fowler, but he is best known for his work on the Forth Bridge...
and Sir John Wolfe-Barry
John Wolfe-Barry
Sir John Wolfe-Barry was an English civil engineer of the late 19th and early 20th century. His most famous project was the construction of Tower Bridge over the River Thames in London.-Early career:...
, to membership on a board to pass on the plans of the Royal Commission on London Traffic. He always considered his selection for the post one of the greatest of the many honors which came to him."
"In 1905, he had also been appointed chief engineer of the Cape Cod Canal
Cape Cod Canal
The Cape Cod Canal is an artificial waterway traversing the narrow neck of land that joins Cape Cod to mainland Massachusetts.Part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the canal is roughly 17.4 miles long and connects Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south...
. Completed in 1914, it joined Massachusetts Bay
Massachusetts Bay
The Massachusetts Bay, also called Mass Bay, is one of the largest bays of the Atlantic Ocean which forms the distinctive shape of the coastline of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Its waters extend 65 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Massachusetts Bay includes the Boston Harbor, Dorchester Bay,...
and Buzzards Bay
Buzzards Bay
Buzzards Bay is a bay along the southern edge of Massachusetts in the United States. The name may also refer to:*Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, a village in Bourne, Massachusetts*Buzzards Bay , the name of the horse that won the 2005 Santa Anita Derby...
and demonstrated that a canal without locks could be built between two bodies of water where considerable tidal differences existed."
A part of 158th Street in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
was named after him as Parsons Boulevard, giving rise to the station names Parsons Boulevard
Parsons Boulevard (IND Queens Boulevard Line)
Parsons Boulevard is an express station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Parsons Boulevard and Hillside Avenue in Queens, it is served by F train at all times...
and Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer.
Military Experiences
He was commissioned as a colonel in the Spanish–American War, and promoted to General in World War IWorld 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...
.
Willaim Parsons was the Colonel of the 11th Engineers of the American Expeditionary Force
American Expeditionary Force
The American Expeditionary Forces or AEF were the United States Armed Forces sent to Europe in World War I. During the United States campaigns in World War I the AEF fought in France alongside British and French allied forces in the last year of the war, against Imperial German forces...
(AEF) in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
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...
. "He participated in the engagement at Cambrai
Cambrai
Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included...
, where, suddenly attacked by Germans while making railroad repairs, the engineers fought with picks and shovels. The 11th Engineers also fought in the Lys Defensive (Hundred Days Offensive
Hundred Days Offensive
The Hundred Days Offensive was the final period of the First World War, during which the Allies launched a series of offensives against the Central Powers on the Western Front from 8 August to 11 November 1918, beginning with the Battle of Amiens. The offensive forced the German armies to retreat...
), and during the Saint-Mihiel (Battle of Saint-Mihiel
Battle of Saint-Mihiel
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought between September 12–15, 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of U.S. general John J. Pershing against German positions...
) and Argonne-Meuse Campaigns. His book, The American Engineers in France (1920), is a valuable and interesting record of these activities. He was cited for "specially meritorious services" and received decorations not only from the United States, but also from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, France, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and the state of New York."
"The Americans were busy on the morning of November 3, 1917, building a railroad yard near the British front, when they were surprised by a sudden German advance. Without a moment's warning, the Germans concentrated a heavy artillery-fire on the yard. Lieutenant McLoud collected his men
and calmly marched them through the German barrage to a point of safety. They had retreated about two miles, when they chanced upon a number of British soldiers. McLoud at once took command and, rallying the troops, returned to the firing-line. On the way back the Americans met a British staff
officer, and with his aid they succeeded in getting additional arms and ammunition with which to equip the engineers of the party."
"After the war, he was transferred to the Engineers Reserve Corps with the rank of Brigadier General."
Family
Parsons married Anna Reed, daughter of Rev. Sylvanus Reed and Caroline Gallup on 20 May, 1884. They had two children: Sylvia Caroline Parsons, born 19 November, 1885, and Dr William Barclay Parsons, born 22 May, 1888.Publications
- An American Engineer in China (1900)
- "The American Engineers in France. 1920.
- Engineers and Engineering of the Renaissance (1939)
- Robert Fulton and the Submarine. 1922.
- Track, a complete manual of maintenance of way. 1886.
- Turnouts: exact formulae for their determination, together with practical and accurate tables for use in the field. (1884). ISBN: 39015021048429.
External links
- William Barclay Parsons and the NYC Subway, New York Public Library
- William Barclay Parsons, Columbia College