Sidney Howe Short was a British-American electrical engineer and inventor. He became technical director of the English Electric Manufacturing Company, Ltd. , organized a technical staff to undertake research and development work.
Background
Sidney was born on October 8, 1858 in Columbus, Ohio, United States, where his father was engaged in manufacturing. He was the son of John and Elizabeth (Cowen) Short.
Like many inventors, he displayed remarkable mechanical ingenuity as a child, and was so interested in electricity that at the age of fourteen years he was an expert telegrapher and had equipped his home with a burglar alarm and many other electrical devices.
Education
After completing grade school and spending a short time at Capital University, Columbus, he entered Ohio State University, where he was a student assistant in physics and graduated with the degree of B. S. in 1880.
Career
Immediately following his graduation Short accepted the position of professor of physics and chemistry and vice-president of the University of Denver, Denver, Colo. , and began with enthusiasm his professional career. His departments developed rapidly; in 1882 the work had become so great that he was relieved of chemistry to devote his whole time to teaching and research in physics.
Although his earliest interests in electricity were the telegraph and the telephone - he perfected, patented, and sold a telephone transmitter in 1879 - he turned his attention to arc lighting and electric traction soon after going to Denver, and made important discoveries and improvements, many of which he patented.
After five years at the university he resigned and became associated with the United States Electrical Company, Denver, Colorado, to develop and manufacture his inventions. At first he worked on improved equipment for electric arc lighting, but about 1886 he invented a double reduction electric motor for street railways and soon engaged in building electric railways incorporating his inventions.
After completing several installations and patenting additional improvements in his system, in 1889 he removed to Cleveland, Ohio, where with the financial help of Charles F. Brush he organized the Short Electric Railway Company and began the manufacture of his railway machinery. He was very successful in this but in 1892 sold his company to the General Electric Company. In 1893 he became connected with the Walker Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, which immediately entered the electric traction field with an entirely new system of apparatus of Short's design; by 1898 it had become such a formidable competitor of both the General Electric and Westinghouse companies that the latter felt compelled to purchase a controlling interest in it. Meanwhile Short had started negotiations with Messrs. Dick, Kerr & Company, Ltd. , in England for the manufacture of his patented electric railway machinery and system.
Accordingly late in 1898 he went to London, and within eighteen months the production of all kinds of equipment was under way at a new factory erected at Preston.
He died at the age of forty-four.
Achievements
Membership
Short was a member of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, the English Institution of Electrical Engineers, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Connections
He married Mary F. Morrison of Columbus, Ohio, in Washington on July 26, 1881, had four children.