Ira Nelson Hollis (March 7, 1856 – August 25, 1930) was an American mechanical engineer at the US Navy, Professor of engineering at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

, and president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He served as president of the

American Society of Mechanical Engineers The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing ...

in the year 1917-18.

Biography

Youth, education and early naval career

Hollis was born at Mooresville, Indiana as son of Ephriam Joseph Hollis, captain in the 59th Indiana Infantry Regiment, and Mary Kearns Hollis, a farmer's daughter. He was raised in Louisville, where he attended the local high school. After graduation he was an apprentice in a machine shop and later a clerk with a railroad and a cotton commission house.Marks, Lionel S. "Ira Nelson Hollis (1856-1930)." Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1933. In 1874 Hollis was admitted to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, now

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

, at the age of eighteen at the head of the list. He graduated with honors as Cadet-Engineer in 1878 as top of his class. After graduation Hollis served in the Navy for fifteen years at sea and on shore. The first three years he spend on the USS Quinnebaug, cruising the North Sea, Mediterranean, and coast of Africa. Subsequently he was Professor of Marine Engineer at

Union College Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...

in Schenectady, New York, advisor in the Squadron of Evolution, supervisor at Union Iron Works, back at sea in charge of machinery of a vessel on the China Station, and lecturer at the Naval War College at Newport.

Later career

After resigning from the Navy, from 1893 to 1913 Hollis was Professor engineering at the

, at the Lawrence Scientific School, nowadays

Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences The Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) is the engineering school within Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, offering degrees in engineering and applied sciences to graduate students admitted ...

. From 1913 to 1925 he served as President of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. In 1899 Harvard University had granted Hollis an honorary Master of Arts. In the same year he also obtained a Doctor of Humane Letters from

. He was elected Fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...

, and president of the

in the year 1917-18. In 1912 he obtained a Doctor of Science from the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

Selected publications

* Ira Nelson Hollis,
The frigate Constitution; the central figure of the Navy under sail
'' 1900. ; Articles, a selection * Hollis, Ira Nelson. "A New Organization for the New Navy." ''Atlantic Monthly,'' LXXX (1897), 318-319. * Hollis, Ira Nelson. "The Navy and the War with Spain." ''Atlantic Monthly'' 82 (1898): 605-10. * Hollis, Ira Nelson. "The Uncertain Factors In Naval Conflicts." ''Atlantic Monthly,'' June 728 (1898). * Hollis, Ira Nelson. "Origin of the Harvard Stadium," ''Harvard Engineering Journal,'' 1904.

References

External links

Ira Nelson Hollis
The Cultural Landscape Foundation {{DEFAULTSORT:Hollis, Ira Nelson 1856 births 1930 deaths American mechanical engineers American non-fiction writers United States Naval Academy alumni Union College (New York) faculty Naval War College faculty Harvard University faculty Worcester Polytechnic Institute faculty People from Mooresville, Indiana Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Presidents of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers