Frederic Auten Combs Perrine

Background

He was born on August 25, 1862 at Manalapan, New Jersey, United States, the son of John Anderson and Rebecca Ann (Combs) Perrine. He was a descendant of Daniel Perrin, a French Huguenot, who came to America in 1665.

Education

His early education was received at the Freehold Institute in New Jersey, and in 1879 he entered the College of New Jersey (Princeton), where he was graduated with the degree of A. B. in 1883. He continued his studies in the graduate school until 1885 when he received the degree of Doctor of Science. His broad education in the arts as well as in science developed habits of study which were to contribute much to his strength of character and to his achievements in widely different types of activity. He adopted as his line of special interest the study of electricity and the equipment needed in its application.

Career

His first position after leaving college was with the United States Electric Lighting Company of New York, as assistant electrician. In 1889, he was employed by the John A. Roebling's Sons Company as manager of the insulated wire department in connection with which he did special research to develop more scientific methods for manufacturing the wire product.

He became manager and treasurer of the Germania Electric Company of Boston in 1892 and the following year was appointed professor of electrical engineering at Leland Stanford University. As head of the department which he organized, he achieved outstanding success as a teacher, both his personality and his fine education admirably fitting him for the position. While he was still teaching at Stanford he became the chief engineer of the Standard Electric Company of California, now a part of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

He resigned from his positions in California in 1900 to become president and general manager of the Stanley Electric Manufacturing Company of Pittsfield, Massachussets. This office he resigned in 1904 to enter into practice as a consulting engineer in New York City. In addition to his other duties, he served as one of the editors of the Journal of Electricity from 1894 to 1896, and as an editor of Electrical Engineering from 1896 to 1898.

He presented a large number of papers before various organizations, and was especially active in the affairs of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers of which he served as manager and member of council from 1898 to 1900.

He died at Plainfield, New Jersey, after an illness of several months.

Achievements

• Frederic Auten Combs Perrine organized electrical engineering department in the Leland Stanford University and as its head achieved outstanding success. As a chief engineer of the Standard Electric Company of California he designed the first long 60 kilovolt transmission line, for which he received a gold medal at the Paris Exposition in 1900. He also was the author of famous work Conductors for Electrical Distribution.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Notes of Lectures on Electrical Engineering

    (Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We h...)

  • Conductors for Electrical Distribution: Their Materials and Manufacture, the Calculation of Circuits, Pole-Line Construction, Underground Working, and Other Uses

    ( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)

Views

He emphasized strongly the need for a thorough study of theory, adhering to the tenet that practical work should only develop familiarity with processes. He himself, however, was intensely interested in the practical application of electricity.

Membership

He was a member of several of the leading engineering societies including the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Connections

On June 28, 1893, he married Margaret J. Roebling, the grand-daughter of John Augustus Roebling. They had two daughters and a son.

Father:

John Anderson Perrine

Mother:

Rebecca Ann (Combs) Perrine

Spouse:

Margaret J. Roebling

ancestor:

Daniel Perrin