Yisheng Mao
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Dr. Mao Yisheng aka. Thomson Eason Mao (; January 9, 1896 – November 12, 1989) was a Chinese structural engineer and social activist. He was one of the most famous Chinese
structural engineers Structural engineers analyze, design, plan, and research structural components and structural systems to achieve design goals and ensure the safety and comfort of users or occupants. Their work takes account mainly of safety, technical, economic ...
, a pioneer in bridge construction, and a
social activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in Social change, social, Political campaign, political, economic or Natural environment, environmental reform with the desire to make Social change, changes i ...
.


Biography

Mao was born in
Zhenjiang Zhenjiang, alternately romanized as Chinkiang, is a prefecture-level city in Jiangsu Province, China. It lies on the southern bank of the Yangtze River near its intersection with the Grand Canal. It is opposite Yangzhou (to its north) and ...
,
Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its ca ...
province. He entered
Jiaotong University Jiaotong University, Jiao Tong University or Chiao Tung University () may refer to: * Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China * Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China * Southwest Jiaotong ...
's Tangshan Engineering College (now Southwest Jiaotong University) and earned his bachelor's degree in
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 public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewa ...
in 1916. He earned his master's degree from
Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...
and earned the first Ph.D. ever granted by the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) in 1919. His doctoral treatise entitled ''Secondary Stress on Frame Construction'' is treasured at the Hunt Library of Carnegie Mellon University and the university constructed a statue of him on campus in his honor.


Engineer

Mao was regarded as the founder of modern bridge engineering in China. Mao's long and productive career included designing two of the most famous modern bridges in China, the
Qiantang River Bridge The Qiantang River Bridge () is a road and railway bridge across the Qiantang River at Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, China. History The bridge was designed by Mao Yisheng and built by Dorman Long. Construction, which started on 8 August 1934 was ...
near
Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whic ...
, and the
Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge The Wuhan Yangtze Great Bridge (), commonly known as Wuhan First Yangtze Bridge, is a double-deck road and rail bridge across the Yangtze River in Wuhan, in Central China. At its completion in 1957, the bridge was the easternmost crossing of ...
in
Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei Province in the People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the ninth-most populous Chinese city an ...
. The Qiantang River Bridge is the first dual-purpose road-and-railway bridge designed and built by a Chinese. He also participated in the construction of China's first modern bridge – Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge. During the construction of Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, Mao Yisheng served as chairman of the Technical Advisory Committee composed of more than 20 foreign and Chinese bridge experts, and solved 14 difficult problems relating to bridge construction. He also led the structural design of the Great Hall of the People in
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
.


Educator

Returning to China, Mao was on the faculty of five major universities and served as president of four, such as the professor and President of Tangshan Engineering College of the
National Chiao Tung University National Chiao Tung University (NCTU; ) was a public research university located in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Established in 1896 as Nanyang Public School by an imperial edict of the Guangxu Emperor, it was one of China's leading universities. After th ...
(now Southwest Jiaotong University), Dean of Engineering College of
National Southeastern University Nanjing University (NJU; ) is a national public research university in Nanjing, Jiangsu. It is a member of C9 League and a Class A Double First Class University designated by the Chinese central government. NJU has two main campuses: the Xianl ...
(later renamed
National Central University National Central University (NCU, ; Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ''Kwet-li̍p Chung-yong Thài-ho̍k'', Wade–Giles: ''Kuo2 Li4 Chung Yang Ta4 Hsüeh2'' or ''中大'', ''Chung-ta'') is a public research university with long-standing traditions based in Taiw ...
and then
Nanjing University Nanjing University (NJU; ) is a national public research university in Nanjing, Jiangsu. It is a member of C9 League and a Class A Double First Class University designated by the Chinese central government. NJU has two main campuses: the Xian ...
, the engineering school of which later became
Nanjing Institute of Technology The Nanjing Institute of Technology (NJIT;) is an undergraduate university in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China. It was founded in 2000 under the approval of the Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government a ...
and then
Southeast University Southeast University (SEU, ) is a public research university located in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. It was formed from one of the oldest universities and the first coeducational university in China, and designated as a member of the Double First C ...
), President of Hohai Technology University (now
Southeast University Southeast University (SEU, ) is a public research university located in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. It was formed from one of the oldest universities and the first coeducational university in China, and designated as a member of the Double First C ...
and
Hohai University Hohai University (HHU; ) is a public research university in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. It is under the direct administration of the Ministry of Education of China, and previously administered by the Ministry of Water Resources from 1958 to 2000 ...
), President of
Peiyang University National Peiyang University (北洋大学堂), originally Imperial Tientsin University, was established in Tianjin in October 1895 by Sheng Xuanhuai, the official of the Tianjin Customs, with the approval of the Guangxu Emperor of Qing dynasty. I ...
(now
Tianjin University Tianjin University (TJU, ), formerly Peiyang University (), is a national public research university in Tianjin, China. The university was established in 1895 by Guangxu Emperor's royal charter to be the first university of China. It is now fu ...
), President of China Chiao Tung University (later renamed Northern Chiao Tung University, with campus in
Tangshan Tangshan () is a coastal, industrial prefecture-level city in the northeast of Hebei province. It is located in the eastern part of Hebei Province and the northeastern part of the North China Plain. It is located in the central area of the Boha ...
and
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
, later Southwest Jiaotong University and
Beijing Jiaotong University Beijing Jiaotong University ( Chinese: 北京交通大学), formerly Northern Jiaotong University, is one of the oldest public universities in mainland China. The main campus is located in the Haidian District in central Beijing. Its coordinates ...
), President of Director of Project Office of Hangzhou
Qiantang River Bridge The Qiantang River Bridge () is a road and railway bridge across the Qiantang River at Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, China. History The bridge was designed by Mao Yisheng and built by Dorman Long. Construction, which started on 8 August 1934 was ...
, and Director of Bridge Planning Project Office of Transportation Ministry of
Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...
Administration. He significantly influenced Chinese engineering education by introducing new subject matter and innovative pedagogical approaches. In addition to his engineering expertise, he was a distinguished scholar of the History of science in China. He advocated popular science education, and wrote "On Bridge", "China's Arch Bridges" and many other popular science articles.


Leadership

Mao served as a leader of the China Engineers Association, the Chinese Civil Engineering Society and the
China Association of Science and Technology The China Association for Science and Technology (CAST; ) is a mass organization of Chinese scientists and engineers, which is composed of multiple national professional societies and hundreds of branches at various local and international level ...
. He has also served as president of Southwest Jiaotong University (from Tangshan Engineering College to Northern Jiaotong University to Southwest Jiaotong University), director of Railway Institute under the Ministry of Railway, president of Railway Scientific Research Center, chairman of Beijing Science Association, honorary president and vice-president of the China Association for Science and Technology, vice-chairman of Jiu San Society, vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), member of CPPCC, and the standing committee member of
National People's Congress The National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China (NPC; ), or simply the National People's Congress, is constitutionally the supreme state authority and the national legislature of the People's Republic of China. With 2,9 ...
. Mao was elected as a member of
Chinese Academy of Sciences The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); ), known by Academia Sinica in English until the 1980s, is the national academy of the People's Republic of China for natural sciences. It has historical origins in the Academia Sinica during the Republi ...
in 1955, foreign associate of the United States
National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of ...
in 1982.Memorial Tribute issued by the National Academy of Engineering
He was a senior member of
International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering The International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE) is a non-profit organisation with mission to promote the exchange of knowledge and to advance the practice of structural engineering worldwide in the service of the profess ...
, honorary member of the
Canadian Society of Civil Engineers The Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC) (French: l'Institut canadien des ingénieurs; ICI) is a federation of fourteen engineering societies based in Canada, covering a broad range of engineering branches, and with a history going back to 1887. F ...
, and outstanding alumnus from Cornell University and Carnegie Mellon University. On April 18, 2006, Carnegie Mellon University set up a statue honoring its first doctoral graduate. The sculpture includes an inscription from China's Premier
Wen Jiabao Wen Jiabao (born 15 September 1942) is a retired Chinese politician who served as the Premier of the State Council from 2003 to 2013. In his capacity as head of government, Wen was regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic polic ...
. On March 27, 2014, an eponymous play debuted at Beijing Jiaotong. Deans from the sister Jisotong universities attended the premier.


Family

Mao Yisheng's nephew Mao Yushi is an economist.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mao, Yisheng 1896 births 1989 deaths Carnegie Mellon University College of Engineering alumni Chinese activists Chinese bridge engineers Chinese structural engineers Cornell University College of Engineering alumni Educators from Zhenjiang Engineers from Jiangsu Foreign associates of the National Academy of Engineering Members of Academia Sinica Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Members of the Standing Committee of the 6th National People's Congress Members of the Standing Committee of the 5th National People's Congress Members of the Standing Committee of the 4th National People's Congress Members of the Standing Committee of the 3rd National People's Congress Members of the Standing Committee of the 2nd National People's Congress Members of the Standing Committee of the 1st National People's Congress Nanjing University faculty National Central University faculty Southwest Jiaotong University alumni Southwest Jiaotong University faculty Presidents of Tianjin University Vice Chairpersons of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference