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Ralph Modjeski | |
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 Modjeski in 1931 | |
| Born | Rudolf Modrzejewski (1861-01-27)January 27, 1861 |
| Died | June 26, 1940(1940-06-26) (aged 79) Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Citizenship | Austria (1861–1883) United States (1883–1940) |
| Known for | Building manysuspension bridges throughout the United States |
| Notable work | |
| Mother | Helena Modjeska |
| Awards |
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Ralph Modjeski (bornRudolf Modrzejewski;Polish:[mɔˈdʐɛjɛfskʲi]; January 27, 1861 – June 26, 1940) was a Polish-Americancivil engineer who achieved prominence as "America's greatest bridge builder."
He furthered the use ofsuspension bridges and oversaw the design and construction of nearly forty bridges that spanned the great rivers of North America, as well as the development of new rail lines. In addition, he trained succeeding generations of American bridge designers and builders, includingJoseph B. Strauss, chief engineer ofSan Francisco'sGolden Gate Bridge (which was completed six months after Modjeski'sSan Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge).
Modjeski was born inBochnia, inGalicia, on January 27, 1861, to Gustav Sinnmayer Modrzejewski and actress Helena Opid Modrzejewska (best known outside Poland asHelena Modjeska). In 1865, his mother left Sinnmayer, and in 1868, she married polish nobleman Karol Bożenta Chłapowski. In July 1876, they emigrated to America, where, as a matter of convenience, the boy's mother changed her name toHelena Modjeska and her son's name to Ralph Modjeski.[1]
He was a classmate ofIgnacy Jan Paderewski in Poland and was a formidable pianist in his own right.
The son returned to Europe to study atl'Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées (the School of Bridges and Roads) inParis, France. It was in 1883, while studying at Paris, that he obtained American citizenship; however, he always maintained contact with Poland, wrote much in Polish, and emphasized his Polish origins.
In 1885, he graduated from the School of Bridges and Roads at the top of his class. That same year, he married a cousin Felicie Benda; the couple had three children. They divorced in 1931 after a sixteen-year-long separation. That same year, the now seventy-year-old Modjeski married Virginia Mary Giblyn.
After completing his academic training, Modjeski returned to America to begin his career, working first under the "father of American bridge-building,"George S. Morison. In 1893, Modjeski opened his own design office inChicago. Joined in 1924 by Frank M. Masters Sr., the firm still exists as Modjeski & Masters.[2]
Modjeski's first project as chief engineer was therailroad bridge across theMississippi River atRock Island, Illinois. During his career, he served as chief or consulting engineer on dozens of bridges across the United States.
He took over the mis-designedQuebec Bridge after the 1907 disaster that killed seventy-five workers, and succeeded in creating the longesttruss span in the world (though a construction accident killed another thirteen workers). It is still the longestcantilever bridge in the world.
Modjeski was the recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees. He received a doctorate in engineering fromIllinois State University in 1911, theFranklin Medal in 1923, a doctoratehonoris causa from theLwów Polytechnic in 1929, and the prestigiousJohn Fritz Medal in 1930. He was elected to the United StatesNational Academy of Sciences in 1925 and theAmerican Philosophical Society in 1926.[3][4] In Modjeski's obituary, Frank Masters considered him "one of the world's leading bridge engineers."[5] APHMC Historical Marker was dedicated in 2007 in commemoration.
He died on June 26, 1940, inLos Angeles, California, nearly 80 years old. He was buried at the Ingelwood Eternity Mausoleum Cemetery in the crypt K-208.[6]
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