Troubles of Biographers: S is for Schenectady's Star

Trouble: What if no one knows about the subject except people in his hometown? 

At my oldest brother's encouragement, I chose Charles Proteus Steinmetz for "S." For most of his working life, he worked at GE in my hometown of Schenectady, New York. During his lifetime (and now), he is considered on par with Edison and Tesla and even superior to them in many ways. 

Despite growing up in Schenectady and having a father who worked for GE Research & Development for his entire career, I had never heard of Steinmetz. 

Or maybe I had, but I didn't remember. My brother Joe concurred. We certainly weren't taught about Steinmetz in school! 

My father, however, heard his name quite often at work.

Nevertheless, Charles Proteus Steinmetz is an unsung hero. There was one biography for Steinmetz in the Portland Public Library, and it was written in 1924. The general catalog (MaineCat) had far more works BY Steinmetz than about him. I interlibrary-loaned the selected biography; nearly every copy of that biography on WorldCat was from a New York State educational institution's library though I did receive the book from Raritan Valley Community College in New Jersey. In comparison, Tesla had 7 biographies just in the Portland Library, 1 non-fiction movie, and 3 children's books.

Biography: Bly, Robert W. Charles Proteus Steinmetz: The Electrical Wizard of Schenectady. Quill Driver Books, 2018.  

The biography is quite respectable. It was written by an chemical engineer and spends as much time explaining electricity--so the reader can comprehend and respect Steinmetz's achievements--as discussing Steinmetz himself. This is less distracting than it sounds. Quite often biographies of this type--a "biography" of Shakespeare that spends more time on Elizabethan politics than on Shakespeare or his plays--are irritating in the extreme, but Bly is placing Steinmetz in context while underscoring his accomplishments. I actually began to understand electricity--as more than a magic switch, anyway--while I was reading. 

Steinmetz

Steinmetz himself comes across as The Lord of the Rings persona of John Rhys-Davies. They are rather like the conservative and socialist version of a similar personality: rational, down-to-earth, family-oriented, willing to endorse certain types of activism, unafraid without being belligerent. And Steinmetz was four feet and hunchback--and a mathematical genius (an outlier), so...

The Lord of the Rings persona of John Rhys-Davies. 

Steinmetz's abilities were acknowledged early on. The company he worked at after immigrating to the U.S., E&O, was bought out by GE in order for GE to get Steinmetz. He knew and interacted with nearly all of the great scientists and inventors of his age. 

Before I discuss Steinmetz's mathematical genius, I must mention that he was a science writer when he first arrived in the United States. Later, he wrote all his own proposals, and they are remarkably clear even if one doesn't "get" the science.  (Bly reproduces one of his patent descriptions.) 

As well as a good writer, Steinmetz was a true mathematical genius. Bly states, "[M]any educators and professionals agree that students and practitioners with a mastery of higher mathematics have a big advantage over those who are less at home with numbers and equations" (47). 

In terms of Steinmetz's contributions, Bly does a great job placing him in context, but he doesn't always complete the context. Steinmetz helped establish the electric power grid. Okay, I get it, and I know what it is--but how about wrapping up that accomplishment?

I suspect that Bly, an engineer, imagines that the accomplishment is self-explanatory.

The one place where Bly does take Steinmetz's contribution/invention all the way to the end is with the Steinmetz Lightning Machine. He points out that this machine--and machines based on its principles--enable engineers now to do safer, reliable testing. 

Steinmetz had a sense of humor. To garner attention for his machine, he 

constructed a miniature model village out of wood, similar in size, scope, and appearance to the tiny towns that model railroad enthusiasts set up around the train tracks. Then he built a 120,000-volt lightning generator and positioned it about the model town. [He] advertised his demonstration. When members of the public were seated, he darkened the room, [f]lipped the generator switch. [S]hortly thereafter the generator hanging form the ceiling produced a miniature lightning storm that destroyed the model village in rather spectacular fashion. (92)

He once charged Ford $10,000 for fixing one of his engines. When Ford complained, Steinmetz itemized his bill (page 108): 

Making chalk mark on the generator [where it needed to be fixed]: $1 

Knowing where to make the mark: $9,999

Total: $10,000

Steinmetz's adopted descendants. Article here

In some ways, Steinmetz was the stereotypical  genius in his lab. He had a lab at GE. He had one at his nearby home. However, Bly challenges 

(1) the idea of the isolated genius.

Steinmetz adopted his lab assistant, Hayden Joseph LeRoy, whose family lived with him until his death. Their children and progeny are considered Steinmetz's grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren; 

(2) the idea that the supposedly isolated genius has no other interests.

Steinmetz had many interests. He loved kids. He taught at Union College. He extolled the idea of the "Renaissance Man." He grew cacti and orchids (Nero Wolfe!). He had pet reptiles. He enjoyed nature, such as canoeing. He was a bit of a prankster. He was part of a poker club called "The Society of the Equalization of Engineers' Salaries."

He was also a socialist, which may seem contradicted by his employment by a huge corporation. He was paid well though not as well as he could have demanded. But Steinmetz, like many leftists (only Steinmetz was more honest), perceived the big "parental" corporation as the answer to society's ills. He was very happy at GE.  

A thoroughly amazing guy! And well-deserving of a hero's adulation in Schenectady and beyond.