Charles Alton Ellis (18761949) was a professor, structural engineer and mathematician who was chiefly responsible for the structural design of the

Golden Gate Bridge The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, California—the northern tip of the San Francisco Pen ...

. Because of a dispute with Joseph Strauss, he was not recognized for his work when the bridge opened in 1937. His contributions were ultimately recognized at the bridge in a plaque installed in 2012.

Early life and education

Ellis was born in

Parkman, Maine Parkman is a New England town, town in Piscataquis County, Maine, Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 747 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. History First known as Plantation Number Five, Sixth Range, it was p ...

in 1876. He earned a degree in mathematics from

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Epis ...

(where he was a member of

Delta Kappa Epsilon Delta Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as ''DKE'' or ''Deke'', is one of the oldest fraternities in the United States, with fifty-six active chapters and five active colonies across North America. It was founded at Yale College in 1844 by fifteen ...

fraternity). In 1922, he received his graduate certificate in

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

(C.E.) from the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...

Career

Ellis took a post at the

American Bridge Company The American Bridge Company is a heavy/civil construction firm that specializes in building and renovating bridges and other large, complex structures. Founded in 1900, the company is headquartered in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pitt ...

, where he worked on the stresses of subway tunnels crossing the Hudson River. Ellis completed coursework to extend his knowledge of structural engineering at the University of Illinois. In 1922 he was expert enough to author a benchmark textbook in the field, Essentials in the Theory of Framed Structures. Ellis began working on the Golden Gate Bridge in 1922, the same year he gained his engineering certificate from University of Illinois. He remained with the project until December 1931. He then opened a consultancy practice in Chicago, working as an advisor to the

Public Works Administration The Public Works Administration (PWA), part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was created by the National Industrial Recove ...

. During his career, he was a professor at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, the University of Illinois, and

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

. His papers are held at the Purdue University library.

Golden Gate Bridge structural design

Ellis was responsible for the structural design of the bridge, working from the overall design by Strauss. A dispute over the time it was taking to complete the design led Strauss to accuse Ellis of wasting time and money, and to dismiss him from the project. The copy of the engineering drawings for the Golden Gate Bridge on file at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

is signed by Ellis, but the plaque placed on the bridge in 1937 did not give him any credit. Ellis was officially given recognition for his part in the designing process of the Golden Gate Bridge. A plaque honoring Ellis was installed on the south tower in 2012, to acknowledge his contributions.

References

Bibliography

* * * * American structural engineers Wesleyan University alumni University of Illinois alumni University of Michigan faculty University of Illinois faculty Purdue University faculty People from Parkman, Maine 1949 deaths 1876 births {{US-engineer-stub