About the Project
This site is an extension of a history PhD dissertation at the University of Colorado entitled "The Engineering Generation: the story of the technicians who enabled American Cold War foreign policy, 1945-1961." The site serves as a supplement to the project, featuring images and videos of people, places, and things related to those individuals and their work.
The project chronicles the rise of a generation of American engineers born in the last decades of the 1800s, and their contributions to U.S. history. The dissertation mainly focuses on the life and experiences of one specific engineer, Clayton E. "Pat" Gifford. Gifford served as the head engineer at the Huber Manufacturing Company out of Marion, Ohio, purveyors of heavy road building machinery. In the early 1950s, Gifford was brought to Turkey by the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads to assist in road building processes as a part of broader American Cold War foreign policy. In Turkey, he instructed Turkish engineers in the use of the machines he designed at Huber which would be used on the nation's massive road development program. The postwar era marked a key shift in the American stance toward the greater globe, which allied engineers and U.S. policymakers permanently as partners in executing large-scale development projects and ambitious defense initiatives. Hundreds of engineers would become involved with government work furthering American Cold War aims. Along with Gifford, the project profiles other technicians with different roles in those foreign policy objectives. Use the "Engineer Bios" tab to meet Gifford and some of his colleagues who played various roles in executing engineering for foreign policy. Visit the "Gallery" to see images of Huber engineers and their work. Check out the Gifford Map to see where Pat traveled, and to view photos he took at each stop. Enjoy! |
The Author |
Keith Aksel is a historian at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. He enjoys dogs.
|