A Guide to the Papers of William Homer Wisely, 1913-1982 (bulk 1931-1982) Wisely, William Homer, Papers 12778

A Guide to the Papers of William Homer Wisely, 1913-1982 (bulk 1931-1982)

A Collection in
Special Collections
The University of Virginia Library
Accession Number 12778

Special Collections, University of Virginia Library

Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
USA
Phone: (434) 243-1776
Fax: (434) 924-4968
Reference Request Form: https://small.lib.virginia.edu/reference-request/
URL: http://small.library.virginia.edu/

Processed by: Special Collections Staff

Repository

Special Collections, University of Virginia Library

Accession number

12778

Title

Papers of William Homer Wisely 1913-1982 (bulk 1931-1982)

Physical Characteristics

This collection consists of ca. 2,600 items (4.5 shelf feet).

Language

English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Papers of William Homer Wisely, Accession #12778, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

The William Hoper Wisely Papers were given to the University of Virginia Library by his widow, Mrs. William H. Wisely, in August 1985.

Biographical/Historical Information

William Homer Wisely (1906-1982) was born in Coulterville, Illinois. He married Hazel A. Steinburg in 1930, and they had two children, Janet Lee and Nancy Ann. Wisely received his B.S. in Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1928 and pursued graduate studies in Civil Engineering there until 1941. Subsequently, he received his doctorate in Engineering from Norwich University (1967). While an undergraduate, he worked as an assistant engineer for the Illinois Walter Survey (1926-1928). After graduation he was hired by the Illinois Department of Public Health (1928-1940) as an assistant sanitary engineer and later became the engineering manager for the Urbana-Champaign Sanitary district (1940-1944). He was the Commissioner of the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission from 1952-1954.

Wisely was a director, fellow, and honorary member of numerous national and international engineering societies, including the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE), the United Engineering Trustees, Inc. (1960-1972), Chi Epsilon, and the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), for which he chaired the International Organizing Committee. He was a visiting scholar at the University of Florida from 1972-1978 and a visiting scholar at the University of Virginia from 1978-1982. His professional writings included numerous articles and editorials as well as several monographs, including The American Civil Engineer 1852-1974 .

Scope and Content Information

The William Homer Wisely Papers comprise approximately 2,600 items (4.5 shelf feet) and include professional correspondence; drafts of speeches and books; reports, articles and notes relating to environmental conservation, the engineering profession, and urban planning; documents of engineering societies; and pedagogical materials. Various published items found with these materials, both monographs and serials, have been transferred to the University of Virginia Science and Engineering Library (see Appendix).

The majority of Wisely's correspondence concerns the formation of a new world engineering society ultimately known as the World Federation of Engineering Organizations. Also included in the correspondence are comments by his colleagues on the professional literature, including Wisely's own editorials and speeches, and responses to surveys and questionnaires on ethics. Among the writings are speeches and editorials by Wisely and others on the engineering profession, ethics and environmental conservation, as well as copies of the newsletter The Digester and drafts of a book on the history of the ASCE from 1852-1974. A list of Wisely's publications appears in the "Offprints" folder.

The research materials include articles and notes on the High Aswan Dam, ethics, engineering, solid waste management, water pollution control (including documentation of European conferences held in 1954), the population explosion, and urban growth. The teaching materials include lectures and handouts on similar topics.

Organization

The collection is organized into five series. The first of these, Correspondence (1958-1980), is arranged chronologically. Series II, Writings, contains drafts and notes for the American Civil Engineer 1852- 1974 , copies of The Digester , a newsletter that Wisely edited, and correspondence related to that publication; offprints of articles and addresses by Wisely; and writings by others, arranged alphabetically by author. Series III, Research Files, includes mainly magazine articles and newspaper clippings. The file on ethics contains ethical canons for various professions and societies. Series IV consists of minutes, pamphlets, and newsletters of various engineering societies. The ASCE material contains editorials by Wisely which are arranged by date. The ASCE correspondence has been removed from this series and placed in Series I. Series V, Teaching Materials, is composed of course outlines, lecture notes, handouts, and exams from courses taught both at the University of Virginia and also the University of Florida.

Headings Wisely assigned to his files have been retained when possible: High Aswan Dam, Ethics, Engineering, Engineering as a Profession, Environmental Conservation-General, Solid Waste Management, Water Pollution Control, Urban Planning, Slums, Case Histories, New Towns, CE 492, ENGR 531, Speech Materials, Editorials, ASCE, ASCE History, Conference of Engineering Societies of Western Europe and the United States of America (EUSEC), Panamerican Federation of Engineering Societies (UPADI), and WFEO. Other headings have been added as necessary to refine the original arrangement.

Contents List

Series I: Correspondence

Box 1
Correspondence 1958-1980

2 folders

Series II: Writings

Box 1
The American Civil Engineer 1852-1974 : Chapter I 1974

2 folders
Box 2
The American Civil Engineer 1852-1974 : Chapter II 1974
Box 2
The American Civil Engineer 1852-1974 : Chapter III 1974

2 folders
Box 2
The American Civil Engineer 1852-1974 : Chapter IV 1974
Box 3
The American Civil Engineer 1852-1974 : Chapter V 1974
Box 3
The American Civil Engineer 1852-1974 : Chapter VI 1974

2 folders
Box 3
The American Civil Engineer 1852-1974 : Chapter VII 1974
Box 4
The American Civil Engineer 1852-1974 : Chapter VIII & Appendices 1974
Box 4
The American Civil Engineer 1852-1974 : Miscellaneous Notes 1974
Box 4
The Digester 1935-1940
Box 4
The Digester - Correspondence 1935-1940
Box 4
Speech Material: A-I 1957-1972, n.d.
Box 5
Speech Material: J-P 1964-1978
Box 5
Speech Material: R-Z, untitled 1968-1980, n.d.
Box 5
Offprints and Reports 1929-1978

2 folders
Box 6
Writings by Others 1961-1974

folder 1 of 2
Box 6
Writings by Others 1931, 1959-1979

folder 2 of 2

Series III: Research Files

Box 6
Aswan High Dam: Articles 1962, 1971-1980, n.d.
Box 6
Aswan High Dam: Correspondence 1971-1972
Box 6
Aswan High Dam: Printed and Photos 1960, 1969-1970, n.d.
Box 6
Aswan High Dam: Reports 1969-1972, 1978, n.d.
Box 6
Aswan High Dam: Miscellaneous Notes and Research 1970-1976
Box 7
Research: Engineering as a Profession 1947, 1961-1981, n.d.
Box 7
Research: Engineering Education 1933, 1958, 1965-1971, 1980, n.d.
Box 7
Research: Engineering Licensing 1969-1975
Box 7
Research: Environmental Conservation General 1959, 1967-1979
Box 7
Research: Environmental Conservation General - Notes and Clippings 1975-1981
Box 7
Research: Ethics 1914, 1944-1975

folder 1 of 2
Box 8
Research: Ethics 1913, 1961-1980

folder 2 of 2
Box 8
Research: New Towns 1970-1971
Box 8
Research: Solid Waste Management 1965-1974
Box 8
Research: Urban Demographics 1969-1974
Box 8
Research: Urban Planning General 1967-1977
Box 8
Research: Urban Planning - Case Histories 1969-1971
Box 8
Research: Urban Planning - Slums 1966-1972
Box 9
Research: Water Pollution Control 1935-1979
Box 9
Research: Water Pollution Control - European Trip (England) 1954
Box 9
Research: Water Pollution Control - European Trip (Germany) 1951-1955 [1967]

folders 1-2 of 3
Box 10
Research: Water Pollution Control - European Trip (Germany) 1951-1955 [1967]

folder 3 of 3
Box 10
Research: Water Pollution Control - European Trip Correspondence 1954-1955
Box 10
Research: Miscellaneous Clippings 1968-1979

Series IV: Engineering Societies

Box 10
American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE) 1971-1981
Box 11
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) - General Records 1950-1980
Box 11
ASCE - Board of Direction Minutes 1932-1973
Box 11
ASCE - Speeches and Reports 1961-1972, n.d.
Box 11
ASCE - Writings by Wisely 1957-1982
Box 12
The Conference of Engineering Societies of Western Europe and the United States of America (EUSEC) 1957-1969
Box 12
Federation européene d'associations nationales d'ingenieurs (FEANI) 1964-1966
Box 12
Institucion de Ingenieria Interamericana, S.A. (Anonymous Society) (I.I.I., S.A.) 1968-1971
Box 12
International Conference of Engineering Organizations (ICEO) 1967-1968
Box 12
International Conference of Engineering Societies (ICES) 1966-1967, n.d.
Box 12
Union Panamericana de Asociaciones de Ingenieros (UPADI) 1966-1971
Box 12
World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) 1966-1976, n.d.
Box 13
Engineering Societies: Miscellaneous 1939, 1956-1979, n.d.

Series V: Teaching Materials

Box 13
Teaching Materials: CE 492 1975-1978, n.d.

2 folders
Box 13
Teaching Materials: CE 530 1978, n.d.
Box 13
Teaching Materials: EGC 400 (Ethics, University of Florida) 1976-1977
Box 14
Teaching Materials: ENGR 351 1979-1981, n.d.
Box 14
Teaching Materials: Miscellaneous 1977-1981