Frederick E. Turneaure

Frederick Eugene Turneaure (July 30, 1866 – March 31, 1951) was an American civil engineer and academic from Illinois. A graduate of Cornell University, Turneaure briefly worked in the private sector before joining Washington University in St. Louis as an instructor. In 1892, he was named a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Turneaure was Dean of Engineering there from 1902 to 1937.[1]

Frederick E. Turneaure
Born(1866-07-30)July 30, 1866
DiedMarch 31, 1951(1951-03-31) (aged 84)
Alma materCornell University
Spouse
Mary D. Stuart
(m. 1891)
Children1
Scientific career
FieldsCivil engineering
InstitutionsLehigh Valley Railroad
Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad
Washington University in St. Louis

Early life edit

Frederick Eugene Turneaure was born near Freeport, Illinois, on July 30, 1866.[2] He was raised on the family farm and attended public schools, studying algebra and geometry in his free time. Turneaure attended Freeport High School intermittently from 1882 to 1884, then taught a school. After receiving a scholarship for proficiency in mathematics, he matriculated at Cornell University, where he studied civil engineering.

Career edit

Turneaure graduated in 1889,[2] and took a job with the Lehigh Valley Railroad. After a year, he joined the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, where he worked until 1890.[3]

Washington University in St. Louis hired Turneaure as an instructor.[2] With Dean John Butler Johnson and Edge Moor Bridge Company engineer C. W. Bryan, Turneaure co-authored The Theory and Practice of Modern Framed Structures, later published in 1902. In 1892, Turneaure was offered a position as professor of the Department of Bridge and Sanitary Engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He published Public Water-Supplies: Requirements, Resources, and the Construction of Works with Harry Luman Russell in 1901.

From 1900 to 1901, Turneaure also worked as the City Engineer of Madison, designing a septic sewage disposal plant and a pump system for artesian wells. Turneaure was then elected as an alderman of the 5th ward on the Madison Common Council. He was named Dean of Engineering in 1902.[3] From 1911 to 1929, he was a member of the state highway commission. He retired in 1937 and was named Dean Emeritus.[1][4]

Personal life edit

Turneaure married Mary D. Stuart, who he met at Cornell, in 1891.[2] She frequently assisted Frederick with his projects. They had one son, Stewart.[3] Turneaure died in Madison on March 31, 1951.[1][4]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Frederick Turneaure, Ex-Dean of College of Engineering, Dies". Wisconsin State Journal. April 1, 1951. p. 1. Retrieved May 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.  
  2. ^ a b c d "Frederick Turneaure, Ex-Dean of College of Engineering, Dies (continued)". Wisconsin State Journal. April 1, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved May 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.  
  3. ^ a b c MacDonald, H. L., ed. (February 1904). "Dean Frederick Eugene Turneaure". The Wisconsin Engineer. 8 (2): 63–66.
  4. ^ a b "Dean Turneaure Dies in Madison". Janesville Daily Gazette. Madison. Associated Press. April 3, 1951. p. 8. Retrieved March 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.