William L. Abbott | |
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| Born | William Lamont Abbott February 14, 1861 |
| Died | February 20, 1951 |
| Education | University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Mechanical Engineering (1884) |
| Occupation | Engineer |
William Lamont Abbott (February 14, 1861 – February 20, 1951) was an Americanmechanical engineer, chief operating engineer ofCommonwealth Edison, president of the board of trustees of the University of Illinois,[1] and president of theAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1926–27. He advocated burning coal to warm the planet.[2]
Abbott was born inMorrison, Illinois inWhiteside County as son of Asa McFarland Abbott and Sarah (Sperry) Abbott. He obtained his MSc in mechanical engineering in 1884 from theUniversity of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.[3]
After his graduation in 1884, Abbott started his career as machinist and draftsman in the industry. In 1885 in cooperation with F. A. Wunder he founded Wunder & Abbott Illuminating Co, one of the first arc-lighting companies in Chicago, which supplied arc lighting service in the central business district of the city.[4]
The company Wunder & Abbott Illuminating, eventually, was bought by the Chicago Edison Co., the predecessors ofCommonwealth Edison.[4] From 1888 to 1894 Abbott was president and manager at the National Electric Construction Company. In 1894 he joinedCommonwealth Edison,[3] where he made it chief operating engineer. He retired in 1935, after 50 years in the industry.[5]
Abbott served as President of the Board of Trustees at the University of Illinois.[6] In the year 1926-27 Abbott served as president of theAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers. In 1942 he was awarded theWashington Award by the Western Society of Engineers.[7] The University Power Plant of the University of Illinois, which entered service on September 1, 1940, was named after him.[8]
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