A FIFTY-YEAR EDITORIAL HISTORY OF THE ENGINEERING ECONOMIST

摘要

As this volume of The Engineering Economist marks the 50th anniversary of this journal's existence, I was asked by the editor to reflect on my experience and thoughts regarding this undertaking that began in 1955. Art Lesser, Jr., the founding editor of this journal, was active with the Engineering Economy Committee of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). This group officially became the Engineering Economy Division of ASEE in 1956. This designation is presently used for the ASEE members in the United States and Canada with interests in engineering instruction, economic analysis, and research. Because of the increasing use of economic analysis in engineering projects in the 1860s, Arthur Mellen Wellington, who began work in railway engineering in 1868, wrote the first book dealing with economic issues and methodology to be used by engineers designing solutions to railway construction. The Economic Theory of Location of Railways, a 200-page book, was published in 1877. The 2nd edition of this book was more than 900 pages, published in 1887, and it is considered the classic book that made the enduring contribution to the field of engineering economics.