James Mulherrin Todd (May 25, 1896 – 1970)John W. Leonard, Winfield Scott Downs, M. M. Lewis. ''Who's who in Engineering, '' Volume 8. John W. Leonard Corporation, 1959. p. 2473 was an American

electrical Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...

and

consulting engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

in New Orleans, and 68th 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 1949-50.Todd, James M. (James Mulherrin), 1896-1970
Tulane University Special Collections. Accessed 2017-09-17.

Biography

Youth and early career

Born in

Franklin, Louisiana Franklin is a small city in and the parish seat of St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 7,660 at the 2010 census. The city is located on Bayou Teche, southeast of the cities of Lafayette, () and New Iberia () and ) north ...

in 1896 to John Robert Todd and Fannie Louise (Mayer) Todd. He attended the public schools of New Orleans and

Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...

, where he obtained his BSc in electrical engineering in 1918. He then served in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. In 1930 he also obtained his MA in engineering from Tulane. In 1919 started his career as chief engineer at the Marrero plant of Penick & Ford ltd. in New Orleans. In 1922-23 he was mechanical engineer with in the consultancy practice of William H. Ennis, and from 1923 to 1928 he was associate of A.M. Lockett and Co., mechanical engineering contractors of New Orleans.

Further career and recognition

In 1928 Todd started his own consultancy firm in the fields of mining, mechanical and electrical engineering. One of his first assignments was taking charge of engineering at the Jefferson Lake Sulphur Company. Furthermore Todd was "active in the installation of air conditioning in the South; the development of the sulfur industry in Louisiana, Texas, and Mexico; the drafting of the New Orleans building code; and he designed the plumbing, electrical, and mechanical facilities of many buildings in New Orleans and the Gulf South." In 1930 Todd served as president of the Louisiana Engineering Society, in 1948 as president of the

, and also as vice-president of the Union of Pan-American Engineering Societies. He was Fellow of the IEEE, and the ASME, and in 1969 Todd was made an Honorary Member of ASME.''Mechanical Engineering,'' Volume 93. 1971. p. 88

Selected publications

* Todd, James M. "Offshore Sulfur Production." ''Industrial & Engineering Chemistry'' 42.11 (1950): 2210-2211.

References

External links

James M. Todd papers, 1908-1975
Louisiana Research Collection {{DEFAULTSORT:Todd, James Mulherrin 1896 births 1970 deaths American electrical engineers Tulane University alumni People from Franklin, Louisiana Presidents of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers 20th-century American engineers