Thomas Ewing French

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Personal Life

Thomas Ewing French was an engineer, author, traveler, artist, gourmet, and hobbyist. French was born November 7th, 1871 in Mansfield, Ohio and was the son of Rev. Daniel Houston French (1831 - 1901) and Janette Mathews (1841 - 1919). He had a younger brother, Edward Houston French (1875 - 1950; OSU Class of '98). French married Ida Richards (1871 - 1903) on June 29th, 1898 and they had one child, Janette (Janet) (French) Houston, (1899 - 1969; OSU Class of '22).

The family moved to Dayton, OH in 1879 where Thomas attended public schools, Cooper Academy, and Miami Business College. From 1888 – 1891 he worked at Smith-Vale Company as a Draftsman and later as Chief Draftsman. Also, while in Dayton during those same years, he was an Instructor of Mechanical Drawing at the Dayton YMCA evening school. In the Fall of 1891, he enrolled at Ohio State University (OSU) to study Mechanical Engineering. While a student, he also worked at OSU as an Assistant Instructor from the Spring of 1893 to 1895.

Career

Upon his graduation in June 1895 from Ohio State University, the university hired him as a full-time faculty member where he remained until his death on November 2nd, 1944 at the age of 72. Including his student days, this was a span of 53 years. In 1906, he was promoted to Professor of Engineering Drawing and Head of the Department of Engineering. This was the original Department of Engineering Drawing at OSU and soon became a national collegiate change from the term mechanical drawing. This change led to similar department name changes throughout the United States and eventually abroad.

Among French's professional awards were a Doctor of Science Degree, Monmouth College (1921), Lamme Medal for Meritorious Achievement in Engineering Education (awarded by SPEE in 1943), and Lamme Medal for Outstanding Contributions to the Engineering Profession (awarded by Ohio State in 1943). He was also a member of America Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Society for Promotion of Engineering Education (SPEE), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Athletics

French was credited with having fathered the idea of the Ohio Stadium, completed in 1922. He was Ohio State's first and only faculty representative in the Big Ten, from 1912 until his death in 1944. In 1912, he became the second President of Ohio State's Athletic Board and hired Ohio State's first athletic director, John Richards. In the 22 years from Ohio Stadium's inception until his death in 1944, French saw football attendance grow to 40,000 at most games - still well short of the dream and stadium capacity. French Fieldhouse at OSU is named in his honor.

Published Works

Professor French authored and co-authored many textbooks, but is best known for his book Engineering Drawing. This book was published from 1911 through 1993 covering fourteen editions, published in multiple languages, and used in the curriculum of several hundred colleges and universities throughout the world.

Books

Essentials of Lettering Part One (French & MeikleJohn), 1909, 1910, 1912

Engineering Drawing (French), 1911, 1918, 1924, 1929, 1935, 1941, 1947 (First-Seventh Editions)

Engineering Drawing (French & Vierck), 1953, 1960, 1966 (Eighth-Tenth Editions)

Engineering Drawing and Graphic Technology (French & Vierck), 1972, 1978, 1986, 1993 (Eleventh-Fourteenth Editions)

Fundamentals of Engineering Drawing (French & Vierck), 1960, 1966 (shortened version of Engineering Drawing)

Fundamentals of Engineering Drawing and Graphic Technology (French & Vierck), 1972, 1978 (shortened version of Engineering Drawing and Graphic Technology)

Agricultural Drawing (French & Ives), 1915

Architectural Drawing (Field), 1922 (Introduction only)

Mechanical Drawing for High Schools (French & Svensen), 1919, 1927, 1934 (First-Third Editions)

Mechanical Drawing (French & Svensen), 1940, 1948, 1957, 1966 (Fourth-Seventh Editions)

Mechanical Drawing (French,Svensen,Helsel,Urbanick), 1974, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1996 (Eighth-Twelfth Editions)

Mechanical Drawing (French & Helsel), 2002 (Thirteenth Edition)

Mechanical Drawing Student Workbook (Helsel,Urbanick), 1996 (Twelfth Edition)

Mechanical Drawing Student Workbook (Helsel), 2002 (Thirteenth Edition)

Mechanical Drawing Instructor Resource Guide (Helsel), 2002 (Thirteenth Edition) 

Lessons in Lettering, Book I – Vertical Lettering (French & Turnbull), 1921, 1924, 1952

Lessons in Lettering, Book II – Inclined Lettering (French & Turnbull), 1921, 1924, 1952

Mechanical Drawing: Education Manual EM 960 (French), 1944 (identical to Fourth edition of same name)

Engineering Drawing: Education Manual EM 961 (French), 1944 (identical to Sixth edition of same name)

Engineering Drawing Sheets Series A (French & Scully), 1935

Engineering Drawing Sheets Series B (French & Scully), 1937

Engineering Drawing Sheets Series C (French & Scully), 1938

Engineering Drawing Sheets Series D (French & Scully), 1941

Engineering Drawing Sheets Series E (French & Scully), 1944

Engineering Drawing Sheets Series F (French & Scully), 1947

Graphic Science (French & Vierck), 1958, 1963 (First, Second Editions)

Graphic Science and Design (French, Vierck, and Foster), 1970, 1983 (Third, Fourth Editions)

Film

McGraw-Hill Text-Films For Engineering Drawing, 1941-1947; correlates with Engineering Drawing (1947)

McGraw-Hill Text-Films For Mechanical Drawing: The Language of Drawing, 1948; correlates with Chapter 1 of Mechanical Drawing (1948)

McGraw-Hill Text-Films For Mechanical Drawing: Scales: Flat and Triangular; correlates with Chapter 2 of Mechanical Drawing (1948)

McGraw-Hill Text-Films For Mechanical Drawing: Compasses and Bow Instruments; correlates with Chapter 2 of Mechanical Drawing (1948)

McGraw-Hill Text-Films For Mechanical Drawing: Freehand Lettering and Figures for Working Drawings; correlates with Chapter 3 of Mechanical Drawing (1948)

McGraw-Hill Text-Films For Mechanical Drawing: Shape Description, Parts I and II; correlates with Chapter 5 of Mechanical Drawing (1948)

McGraw-Hill Text-Films For Mechanical Drawing: Sections; correlates with Chapter 8 of Mechanical Drawing (1948)

McGraw-Hill Text-Films For Mechanical Drawing: Auxiliary Views, Parts I and II; correlates with Chapter 9 of Mechanical Drawing (1948)

McGraw-Hill Text-Films For Mechanical Drawing: Size Description; correlates with Chapter 10 of Mechanical Drawing (1948)

McGraw-Hill Text-Films For Mechanical Drawing: Shop Procedure; correlates with Chapter 13 of Mechanical Drawing (1948)

McGraw-Hill Text-Films For Mechanical Drawing: Isometric Drawing; correlates with Chapter 14 of Mechanical Drawing (1948)

McGraw-Hill Text-Films For Mechanical Drawing; Developments; correlates with Chapter 20 of Mechanical Drawing (1948)

McGraw-Hill Text-Films For Mechanical Drawing: Intersections; correlates with Chapter 20 of Mechanical Drawing (1948)

Bookplates

French designed bookplates including many of those used in the Ohio State University Library, many other libraries (New York  Library, Franklin College in Indiana, and Denison University), and for the archaeologist William C. Mills. French twice won the National Prize for best bookplate of the year.

References

This article "Thomas Ewing French" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Thomas Ewing French. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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