THURSTON, RoBErr HENRY (1839.1903). An American engineer and educator, born in Providence, R. I. Ile graduated at Brown Uni versity in 1859. During the Civil War he served in the Federal Navy as an engineer, and in 1865 he was appointed assistant professor of natural and experimental philosophy at the United States Naval Academy. Ile was professor of engineer ing at the Stevens Institute of Technology from 1871 to 1885, and in the latter year, for a com mittee of the American institute, conducted series of important experiments on steam boilers. lie was a member of the United States Scientific Commission to the Vienna Exhibition in 1873, and edited the Report of the Commissioners, which included his individual report on ma chinery and manufactures (1875-76). From 1885 he was director of Sibley College of Cornell Uni versity. His thoroughness, organizing ability, and energy placed him in the very front rank of educators in his field, while his admirable per sonality excited the respect and regard of his students. Hardly less important in their influ ence upon the engineering world are Professor Thurston's writings, not alone because of their thorough reliability. but because of their clear
ness and comprehensibility, this being particu larly true of such works as History of the Growth of the Steam Engine ("International Scientific Series," 1878, 1901, translated into German and French), a treatise which is at once popular in form of presentation, and exact and authoritative in its subject matter. His other works include: Manual of the Steam Engine (1890, 1901) ; Materials of Engineering (1882, 1900) ; Materials of Construction. (1884, 1900); Stationary Steam Engines (1885, 1889) : Treatise on Friction and Lost Work in Machinery and Mill ll'ork (1885, 1898) ; Manual of the Steam Boiler (1888, 1901) Handbook of Engine and Boiler Trials, and the Usc of the indicator and the Pony Brake: and Life of Robert Fulton ("Makers of America Series," 1891). Professor Thurston's inventions include a magnesium-rib bon lamp, a magnesium-burning naval and army signal apparatus, an autographic recording and testing machine, a form of steam-engine governor, and an apparatus for determining the value of lubricants.