Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. LXX, Dec. 1910 Address at the 42d Annual Convention, Chicago, Illinois, June 21st, 1910, Paper No. 1178

"Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. LXX, Dec. 1910" by J. A. (John Anderson) Bensel, is a formal speech from the early 1900s that acts as a critical look at the field of engineering, thinking about the past and present problems. The core idea is that even though engineers have done great things for the world, they need to work together better as a group and stand up for their profession like other fields do. Bensel urges engineers to care more about how they look to the public and the effects they have on society. His speech looks at the history of engineering, pointing out big wins while also saying that engineers often forget about the human side of things. He wants engineers to see themselves as one big group, not just separate specialties, and to actively help make laws and change what people think about them. Bensel believes engineers should use their math and science skills to guide society forward, and he pushes them to be more thoughtful about modern changes. The speech is a reminder of what engineers have achieved and a call to be more connected and responsible in their work.