William Joseph Hedley

William Joseph (Bill) Hedley (November 6, 1902 – September 10, 1989)[1] was an American civil and consulting engineer,[2] chief engineer at Wabash Railroad,[3] president of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1966, and recipient of the 1973 Hoover Medal.[4]

William J. Hedley
Born
William Joseph Hedley

(1902-11-06)November 6, 1902
St. Louis,
United States
DiedSeptember 10, 1989(1989-09-10) (aged 86)
Clayton, Missouri,
United States
NationalityAmerican
Alma materWashington University
Known forChief engineer, Wabash Railroad
president of ASCE
Railroad crossing protection
Mayor of Clayton, Missouri
AwardsHoover Medal (1973)

Biography

Youth, education and career

Hedley was born in 1902 in St. Louis as son of Charles Henry Hedley and Elizabeth Frances (Smith) Hedley. He obtained his BSc from Washington University in 1925.[5]

After his graduation Hedley started as draftsman at the Mississippi Valley Structural Steel Co., but soon moved to the Wabash Railroad where he would spend a 42-years career. He started as a draftsman and inspector, and moved up to resident engineer and then bridge designer. In 1957 he was appointed chief engineer, and the last three years from 1963 to 1967 he was assistant vice president of the Wabash Railroad.[6]

After his retirement for Wabash in 1967, among others, he was consulting engineer for Sverdrup & Parcel and the US Department of Transportation.[1]

Other activities and acknowledgement

In 1949 Hedley published an AREA report, entitled "The Achievement of Railroad Grade Crossing Protection," based on extensive studies of accidents. This rapport draw national[7] and international attention, and let to suggestions for structural provement, for example in the Netherlands.[8]

Hedley was elected director of the American Railway Engineering Association (AREA), served as its 97th president in 1956,[6][9] and was elected honorary member in 1965.[10][1] In 1966 Hedley was elected president of the American Society of Civil Engineers. The Washington University awarded him a alumni citation in 1966, and six American societies of engineers awarded him the Hoover Medal in 1973. In the city of Clayton, Missouri he was elected mayor twice.[11][1]

Selected publications
Articles, a selection
  • Hedley, W. J. "The Achievement of Grade Crossing Protection." Wabash Railroad (1949).
  • Hedley, W. J. "The Achievement of Railroad Grade Crossing Protection." AREA Proceedings. Vol. 50. 1949.
  • Hedley, Wm J. "Highway-Railway Grade Crossing Protection." (1950). p. 181-196
  • Hedley, William J. "Obtaining the best crossing surface." Railway Track and Structures 76.5 (1980).
gollark: So they probably wouldn't just go "muahahaha, we will now dectuple the price".
gollark: I'm not sure there's much incentive to. The only buyers are governments, who want to pay arguably unreasonably low amounts and generally manage to.
gollark: American Civil Liberties Union or something.
gollark: I see.
gollark: How can you be in weather that hot without imploding? It's been something like 25 good degrees here lately and even that is very unpleasant.

References
  1. J.A. Meyerhoeffer. "Memoir: Wiiliam J. Hedley," 1989 Proceedings of the annual convention, American Railroad Association, 1989. p. 437
  2. Gordon A. Davis. Who's who in Engineering, 1985. p. 278
  3. John William Leonard, Winfield Scott Downs, M. M. Lewis. Who's who in Engineering, Volume 9. 1964, p. 798
  4. Hoover Medal Board of Award. William J. Hedley, thirty-third Hoover medalist. New York, 1973.
  5. Who's who in America: Supplement to Who's who, a current biographical reference service, Volumes 15-16. 1954.
  6. "ASCE Names Hedley President," in: Engineering News-record, Volume 175, Nr. 2. McGraw-Hill, 1965. p. 51-52.
  7. Eugene Madison Wilson. Roadway Safety Tools for Local Agencies. 2003. p. 49
  8. De Kampioen juli 1952. p. 188
  9. Civil Engineering ASCE. Vol. 35. 1965. p. 80
  10. 1966 National Transportation Symposium. 1966. p. 13
  11. David De Armond March. The History of Missouri, Volume 4, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1967. p. 155
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