George Westinghouse’s Biography

Most pack k direct the appellation Westingho substance abuse as the name of an appliance, but where did the name come from? Many people may non know that George Westinghouse was not only an inventor, but a visionary. George Westinghouses many foundings ply the Industrial Revolution that swept through the States in the latter(prenominal) part of the nineteenth century. The Industrial Revolution brought many changes to the unify States. redden though America was progressing, many ill effects were brought on by this expansion. Westinghouse was iodin of the Industrialist that actually cared about the many problems he saw in urban America.Westinghouse, at the age of forty-two, could no colossaler ignore the evils of sociable upheaval created by too rapid industrial development(Levine, 2). George Westinghouse wanted something done, but it looked as if he was the only one that would do it. George Westinghouse had twistd many areas of his era and ours. His many inventions, his goo d-willed policy toward his work ers and his business practices waste touch on all of us but nothing will compare to the influences that he left on our countrys upper- manakin the concept that they had a responsibility toward the order of magnitude that had made them who they were.George Westinghouse was born eight of ten children into a middle crystallize family on October 6, 1846. Westinghouses father ran a venial machine shop in Schendectady, NY, that manufactured nearly(prenominal)ly farm implements as a result, Westinghouse was introduced to the world of machines at a truly early age. Due to curiosities he found during the civilian War, in which he served in both the Northern Army and the Navy, Westinghouse invented a rotary steam engine. At age nineteen, this was his first patented invention how incessantly, the endeavor proved to be impractical.Despite his troubles, Westinghouse went on to invent a device for placing derailed railroad cars back on their tracks. The next year, Westinghouse was riding on a sound outy that was suddenly brought to a stop to avoid a wrecked train on the tracks ahead. The halt that were in use on trains around the world at this time were operated manually. Westinghouse knew that there must be a safer and quicker way to stop a train. After notice rock drills, that used compressed aureole to drill tunnels through mountains, Westinghouse wondered if the use of compressed air could be applied to brakes.This led to one of Westinghouses most famous and most influential inventions ever. Westinghouse did not know it, but he was on his way to changing the course of the nation. However, at age xx two, his new air brake and he got little attention. If I image you, young man, you propose to stop a railroad train with captivated. I have no time to listen to such nonsense, said Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, one of the most powerful railroad owners of the time (Comptons,4). Finally, on a small railroad outside of Pittsb urgh, Pennsylvania, Westinghouse was able to try out his new air brake.On the trial run, the train came to a crossing where a farmers station waggon had broken down. Upon seeing this, the locomotives engineer applied the new braking system. Too everyones surprise, the train was jolted to a halt further much, the train was stopped yards in battlefront of the farmers wagon. Even though almost everyone did fall out of their seat, this was the beginning of Westinghouses influence on the world. Eventually, the Railroad Safety Act of 1893 would make air brakes compulsory on all U. S. trains(Britannica, 6). At this point, Westinghouse established the Westinghouse short letter brake Company.By 1869, already, Westinghouses success was almost guaranteed. George Westinghouses next frontier was railroad signaling. With the ever increasing use and expansion of railroads, signaling became a major problem. He created a signaling system using compressed air and electrical energy thus, the Union Switch and Signal Company was founded in 1882. Indeed, Westinghouse doed the railroads amplely. With his railroad inventions, railroads became safer accordingly, booster cable to the instillation of railroad passengers with confidence.He also created a more lucrative operation for the railroads. The bigger profits that were made by the railroad barons, the more they invested and the faster the Industrial Revolution took place. In this fast growing economy, Westinghouse, who was now financially stable, started to tinker with electricity and internal gas. With a well bore in his yard, Westinghouse developed and marketed a system for the control and distribution of natural gas in Pittsburgh.To twenty-four hour periods natural gas industry owes its existence to Mr. Westinghouse(Shumaker, 4). development the knowledge gained from his work in natural gas, Westinghouse developed a system for the distribution of electricity. He imported both a motor and its inventor, Nikola Tesla, from Europe. With the help of Tesla and three American engineers, Westinghouse developed a new electrical transformer that allowed electricity to be carried over long distances however, Westinghouses design used alternating authentic, spell such people as Thomas Edison used and were promoting direct current electricity.This started the Battle of the Currents, as it was called (Corporate, 1). The advocates and financiers, led by Edison, of the DC system instantly tried to discredit Westinghouses use of the AC system as short as his Alternating Current components were made available on the market. These people charged that AC power was a menace to society. As if they did not do enough already to deface Westinghouse, they successfully had the state of refreshing York install a Westinghouse AC generator as the official bureau of executing death sentences.These charges were untrue therefore, they were insufficient in the suppressment of the use of AC power. AC power was given over credibility when Westinghouse won the contract to airheaded the Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893. It was said to be a dazzling spectacle of a quarter of a million lights that take the show. Reflecting the Battle of the currents, Nikola Tesla later wrote, George Westinghouse was, in my opinion, the only man on this globe who could take my alternating-current system under the circum stances then existing and win the battle against prejudice and capital power.He was one of the worlds true noblemen, of whom America may well be proud and to whom humanity owes an immense debt of gratitude (Corporate, 1) . On January 8, 1886, with a stroke of the Governor of Pennsylvanias pen, the Westinghouse galvanizing Company was granted a charter. This company, which would turn out to be the most important of George Westinghouses many companies, had two-hundred employees and was rigid in a rented building in Pittsburghs Garrison Alley Section. By this point in his life, Westinghouse had founded a few other companies.His air brake company had been expanded to France, England and Germany. This idea of a company going world-wide was relatively new. This led a surge of American companies to expand beyond the United States American influence was being spread around the world. Westinghouse had also founded a machine shop in Pittsburgh in 1881. Westinghouse was very distinct from most of the other American Industrialist. From the start, Westinghouse was not motivated by money or power. He was motivated by knowing that his inventions and other work would be used to help mankind.Within two years after the Westinghouse Electric Company was founded, the company had grown from the original two-hundred employees to more than three green employees by 1888. By 1890, the Westinghouse Electric Company sales totaled quartette million dollars Westinghouse had also installed more than three-hundred electrical generators including Niagara Falls, by this time. Westinghouses busin ess practices were very different than the business practices of they day. Westinghouse clearly was not a businessman, yet because of his dreams, he successfully ran his businesses in a way that baffled many businessmen.From the start, Westinghouse was interested with the welfare of his employees. His employees were his prime consideration in any business decision. Westinghouses workers had a six day, fifty-five minute of arc work week. This work week include five ten hour days, Monday through Friday, and a five hour day on Saturday. It seemed strange to other employers of the time to give employees a half-day on Saturday, but this was part of Westinghouses philosophy. Another benefit of working for Westinghouse was the aid plan.One of the earliest known, Westinghouse provided a pension for each of his workers. The employees of Westinghouses businesses also authentic medical coverage. If an employee fell sick or was injured, he and his family would receive money from the compensa tion fund to live, and the finest medical services available would be given to the worker. A Veteran Employees Association was formed. Any employee with twenty years or more of service could join. This evolv ed into the formation of a Grievance deputation made up of three shop men and three forethought personnel.The Grievance Committee would form to resolve such issues as the avocation working conditions, working methods, and limits of the workers. Westinghouses Grievance Committee set the path for fag reform in America. Westinghouse revolutionized the way the American employee worked hence, Westinghouse was received as the high hat boss in Pittsburgh. Consequently, he won the resentment of the other employers in Pittsburgh and at long last the country. Westinghouse became famous to every citizen by a means different than his inventions. Westinghouse actually created his own townshipship.Westinghouse became perplexed with the problems that he saw in Pittsburgh The town had g rew from a small city to a booming industrial mecca-center fill with smoky factories and pollution filled avenues. He watched the people work long hours, many were immigrants and others were Native Americans in search of a decent aliment furthermore, they came home at night to horrible run down homes where poorly(p) children played in piles of rubbish and rarely attended school. Crime, indisposition and alcoholism were becoming the image of the industrial world. Westinghouse knew that it could be better than this.He knew that all this progress was not for the working class to become illiterate, morbid and delinquent and for the rich to become isolated and forgetful of what they see. George Westinghouse wondered why cryptograph did anything about it. Politicians would not address it, the upper class would not diagnose it, and the workers were too busy in their rat race to care. Westinghouse decided he must take action. Westinghouse began reading up on the problem. He read of e xperiments in Denmark and Sweden where model communities where being made by business and political science officials.Westinghouse knew what he would have to do, but it was a very risky bring nevertheless, George had learned not to be frightened off by gossamer ideas. George Westinghouse contacted a leading architectural firm and told them I want you to design a factory and surround it with a town,(Levine, 2). He visioned a town of state-of-the-art factories, a research laboratory, good schools, residential district centers, a infirmary and inexpensive houses for the employees. Running water and electricity would be standard. In 1890, the Westinghouse Air Brake Company was completely moved to the new site, called Wilmerding, Pennsylvania.The workshops had the most fresh lighting, heating, ventilation and safety facilities,(Levine, 2). Each house in the town had a complete indoor bathroom, electric lighting, and natural gas out lets for cooking and heating. The houses had a lawn with grass, shrubbery, and trees. The houses were rented to the workers with an option to buy. For the children, there were the following schools that were brightly decorated to draw in them to stay, a community center with gymnasiums, a library and meeting rooms.Westinghouse had unfeignedly out done himself this time thought the whole country nevertheless, George Westinghouse felt up that he had accomplished his greatest achievement, and indeed he had. Westinghouses model community sent a silent shock-wave to the upper class society of America. Westinghouse was relation back these people that they had a responsibility to society. The age of a two class society was over. The American worker now had rights and had power. It took a decade or two, but Westinghouses vision of America as an Industrial power eventually took shape with the help of the labor movement.Unfortunately, Westinghouse lost control of most of his companies in the financial panic of 1907 this was mostly due to the negative attitude toward him by other employers, his financial backers and his stockholders. Westinghouse died on March 12, 1914 it was a sad day at the Westinghouse companies. A man who cared, a man who listened, a great man was gone forever.George Westinghouse and his wife Marguerite, to whom he credits his success, are bury in Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D. C. Overall, millions, if not billions of people have benefi ted from his companies, inventions, and his visions. Would you have safe, odorless, and efficient lights in your house would you see an illuminated advertizing on the highway or would you have a paid pass if it was not for George Westinghouse? He invented all those things. How about your pension? The hundred largest pensions in the U. S. have assets exceeding two trillion dollars,(Muhlenkamp, 3). That is something George Westinghouse would have enjoyed to see.