Background
He was born in Milan, Italy, where his father, Luigi, was an army colonel who fought with Garibaldi. His mother was Flora Garbochi.
engineer mechanical electrical engineer
He was born in Milan, Italy, where his father, Luigi, was an army colonel who fought with Garibaldi. His mother was Flora Garbochi.
Graduating from the Royal Polytechnic Institute of Milan in 1899, he spent a year designing alternating-current machinery in Italy, then emigrated to the United States, having heard that great progress was being made there in the development of the electrical arts.
He obtained a position with the New York Edison Company, and having acquired valuable experience in the laboratories of that organization, he decided he should know something about transit work in a large metropolitan system. He therefore secured a position with the Interborough Rapid Transit Company of New York.
He was about to return to Italy when he decided that his experience would be incomplete unless he knew more about the work of the larger electrical manufacturing organizations, though his expectations were to devote only a few months to this work.
He found such an opportunity open to him in the engineering department of the Crocker-Wheeler Company, and in 1904 he took up work with them as a designing engineer.
While with them, and working on the design of a new induction alternator for William Stanley, he did what Stanley considered pioneer work in forecasting by method of calculation the results which would be obtained on a new type of alternating-current generator.
Faccioli devoted much time and care to this problem, and finally obtained a curious result. He reckoned that the generator would consume exactly 101 amperes of current. He went over his calculations several times, but always with the same outcome.
He was astonished, for this whole computation was considered little better than guesswork. A few days later, a group of engineers gathered about the new generator to see the test carried out. Everybody watched the ammeter as the needle began to move up. At length, to everybody's amazement, it stopped at exactly 101 amperes.
This feat so impressed Stanley that he persuaded Faccioli to go to Great Barrington, Massachussets, as his chief assistant. As a result of this move, what was intended for a short visit to America became a permanent stay, and in 1914 Faccioli became a naturalized citizen.
The Stanley works became a part of the General Electric organization, and in 1907 Faccioli worked at the company's plant at Schenectady. The following year he was transferred to the engineering department of the Pittsfield works.
In 1911 he was appointed assistant chief engineer of the transformer department, and in 1913 he became works engineer.
In July 1927 he was appointed associate manager and works engineer of the Pittsfield works, which position he held until his retirement in 1930, four years before his death. Early in his work in the United States he became interested in the affairs of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers.
After having been a member year after year of some of the most important committees of the Institute, and having served four years on the board of directors as manager, he was elected in 1922 vice-president for District No. 1.
While he was vice-president, his inspirational leadership resulted in the establishment of regional meetings and regional prizes in the district. These activities were later placed on a national basis and were adopted by the other districts.
While Faccioli's early experience was centered to a considerable extent in the design and development of alternating-current machinery, he foresaw and interested himself in the possibilities of high-tension transmission and the problems which presented themselves for solution.
He lived with his mother in Pittsfield, and his death followed hers by less than a week.
He was a member of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers.
He was a delightful and brilliant person, with a keen interest in the problems of others, and a manifest desire to simplify and advance the art of engineering in the electrical world.
He never married.