Draft:Alfred still
Alfred Still is known on the campus to possess a most pleasing manner and to be a man of great sincerity. His clarity of diction marks him as a man of culture, acquired in his case through a liberal education and through broadening experiences in France, England, and Canada. Professor Still was born in England and received his elementary education at Dieppe, Normandy, France. At the age of 16, he entered the Finsbury Technical College, London, England—where he studied under the late Dr. Silvanus P. Thompson.
In four years he graduated in both Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. Immediately after graduation he was connected with the first hydro-electric development in England, and later became a designer and manufacturer of electrical machinery in Manchester, England. Early in 1911 he came to Canada to take charge of hydro-electric development work for the Lake Superior Power Company whose central offices were at Sault St. Marie, Ontario, Canada.
The project consisted of a 40,000 kilowatt station with high voltage power transmission lines to the company’s iron mines. His work was truly of a pioneer nature, requiring him to spend two and one-half years in primitive surroundings.
He came to Purdue in 1913 and is now Professor of Electrical Engineering in charge of courses in Electrical Design. Ever since graduation from Finsbury College Professor Still has been a frequent contributor of articles to technical journals, both in Europe and America.
He is the author of two books published in England and of three books published in America, one of which, “Electric Power Transmission”, is now in its third edition. In his writings and teaching, Professor Still tends to emphasize the physical meaning which can usually be attached to the several steps in the solution of engineering problems.
He believes that if a theory is to be of the greatest use, it should be helpful not only in obtaining correct quantitative results, but also in enabling the student to visualize his problem and so take logical steps in the development of new ideas.
Professor Still is a fellow of A. I. E. E. and a member of the (British) Institute of Electrical Engineers. He is also a member of Sigma Xi, research honorary, and of Tau Beta Pi.