Charles Day (engineer)

{{short description|American engineer (1879–1931)}} {{Use American English|date=May 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2026}} [[File:Charles Day (1879-1931).jpg|thumb|Charles Day (1879–1931)]] '''Charles Day''' (May 15, 1879 – May 10, 1931)<ref>[[Frederic A. Godcharles]] (1933), ''Pennsylvania: Biographical.'' p. xiii</ref><ref> George Valentine Massey (1968). ''The Mitchells and Days of Philadelphia: with their kin: Dr. S. Weir Mitchell and Helena Mary Langdon (Mitchell) and Kenneth MacKenzie Day,'' p. 11</ref> was an American electrical, construction and consulting engineer, and co-founder of [[Day & Zimmermann]]. He is known as a specialist in public utility management and operation,<ref name="EW 1931">''Electrical World T & D,'' Vol. 97, 1931, p. 924</ref> and for his seminal contributions to [[flow chart]]s<ref>[[Charles D. Wrege]], "Pioneer Documents in MIS A Closer Look." Proceedings. Vol. 1. American Institute for Decision Sciences, 1978. p. 303</ref> and the [[routing diagram]].<ref name="AA 2005">''AA Files: Annals of the Architectural Association School of Architecture,'' (2005, p. 50)</ref>

== Biography == === Youth, education and early career === Day was born in 1879 in [[Germantown, Philadelphia]], son of Charles A. Day and Frances Corson Day.<ref name = "TA 1977"/> He attended [[Germantown Academy]], where he met his future business partner Kern Dodge, son of [[James Mapes Dodge]]. After graduation he entered the [[University of Pennsylvania]], where he received his BS in 1899 in Electrical Engineering. Thereafter in 1901 he obtained his Master of Engineering in 1901.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

After obtaining his master's degree, Day was superintendent of installation of power-plant equipment and transmission machinery at the 1899 Philadelphia Export Exposition,<ref name="EM 1910">Engineering Magazine, "[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015075018690;view=1up;seq=1049 Charles Day]," Engineering Magazine. v.39 1910 Apr-Sep. p. 7; Section: The publisher's announcement, Authors and papers for September 1910.</ref> where James Mapes Dodge had served on the exhibition commission.<ref>[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/007668559 The National Export Exposition for the advancement of American manufacturers and the extension of export trade : the First National Exposition of the Manufacturers of the United States / under the auspices of the Philadelphia Commercial Museum and the Franklin Institute]. Philadelphia : Department of Publicity and Promotion, National Export Exposition, 1899</ref> At its close, 31 November 1899, Day entered the employ of Link Belt Engineering Co. in [[Nicetown–Tioga]] where James Mapes Dodge was president. He started out as assistant to superintendent and became engineer of works, working on modernizing the plant.<ref name="EM 1910"/>

Dodge himself would become one of the promoters of [[scientific management]], and Day would follow into those footsteps. One decade later a 1911 article in ''[[The American Magazine]]'' would present Day as one of a dozen frontmen of scientific management.<ref name="FWT 1911">[[Frederick Winslow Taylor|Frederick W. Taylor]]. "The Gospel of Efficiency; Part III: Principles of Scientific Management," in: ''The American Magazine.'' v.72 1911 May-Oct. p. 110</ref>

=== Career as construction and consulting engineer === [[File:Charles Day, 1911.jpg|thumb|''The American Magazine,'' May 1911]] After Day's friend Kern Dodge obtained his BS in mechanical engineering at [[Drexel Institute]] in 1901, the two of them founded the company Dodge & Day,<ref>Paula Kepos, Thomas Derdak (1994), ''International Directory of Company Histories.'' Vol 9, p. 162</ref> specializing in engineering, shop equipment and management.<ref>[[Taylor Society]] (1930), ''Bulletin of the Taylor Society,'' Vol. 15-16, p. 90</ref> One of their first employees was [[Conrad N. Lauer]]. Later, the scope of the organization was enlarged to include a great deal of engineering and construction work in both the industrial and public-service fields.<ref name="EM 1910"/> In 1907, another former classmate John Zimmerman joined the firm as partner, and they renamed the firm Dodge, Day & Zimmermann. After Kern Dodge withdrew as partner in 1911, the firm became Day & Zimmermann, incorporated in 1916,<ref>St James Press, Tina Grant (2000), ''International Directory of Company Histories.'' Vol. 31, p. 153</ref> and still exists today.

One of the associates in the consulting firm of Charles Day was [[Walter Polakov]] from 1912 to 1915, who had joined Gantt's consulting firm in 1915, and started his own firm in 1915.<ref>Association of Industrial Relations Academics of Australia and New Zealand. Conference. ''Current research in industrial relations: proceedings of the 10th AIRAANZ Conference, February 1996; hosted by Department of Organisational & Labour Studies, University of Western Australia.'' 1996, p. 251.</ref> In [[World War I]] Day served on the [[United States Shipping Board]] in its [[Emergency Fleet Corporation]]. He wrote a series of lectures for the [[Harvard Business School]],<ref>Harold L. Yoh (1981), ''Day & Zimmermann, Inc: Dedicated to Excellence for Eighty Years, 1901–1981.'' p. 12</ref> and was a trustee of the [[University of Pennsylvania]].<ref name = "TA 1977">Thomas Eakins, Phyllis D. Rosenzweig (1977), ''The Thomas Eakins collection of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.'' 1977. p. 183</ref>

Day was an active member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers; member of the Board of Managers and chairman of the mechanical engineering section of the [[Franklin Institute]], associate member of the [[American Institute of Electrical Engineers]], now IEEE; member of the former New York Electrical Society; member of the Engineers Club of Philadelphia, and Engineers' Club; member of the Machinery Club, New York;<ref name="EM 1910"/> and member of the [[American Philosophical Society]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=APS Member History |url=https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=Charles+Day&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=search.amphilsoc.org}}</ref>

=== Death === Still chairman of the board of Day & Zimmermann, Inc., Charles Day died May 10, 1931, in the University Hospital, Philadelphia after an illness of ten days at the age of fifty-three.<ref name="EW 1931"/>

== Work == Educated at first in Electrical Engineering, Day's work developed into the fields of [[Mechanical engineering|mechanical]], [[construction engineering|construction]], [[civil engineering|civil]] and [[management engineering]]. It is not without reason his biographer Taylor, H. Birchard (1953) named him a "Symbol of American Industrial Genius."<ref>Taylor, H. Birchard, ''Charles Day (1879–1931) Symbol of American Industrial Genius.'' Newcomen Society of North America, 1953.</ref>

In the mentioned 1911 article in ''The American Magazine'' by [[Frederick Winslow Taylor]], Day was presented as "Charles P. Day<ref>It is unclear whether or not this was a spelling error in the name ''Charles P. Day.'' No secondary source confirms any middle name.</ref> of Philadelphia, an efficiency engineer, who adopted Scientific Management to the construction of factories and manufacturing plants."<ref name="FWT 1911"/> For the design of manufacturing plants and civil works, Day co-founded his own engineering firm that still exists today. Day did more than just adopt ideas, and brought them into practice. He developed one or two innovative graphical techniques, and with that contributed to the graphic history of scientific management.<ref name="CDW 1999"/>

=== Day & Zimmermann === In 1901 Day and Kern Dodge laid the foundation for the engineering company [[Day & Zimmermann]]. According to [[American Society of Civil Engineers]] (1975) the two founders both had in common, that they "dreamed of a new and revolutionary business: Modernizing Engineering... [However] in those early days their assets were a modest shed building, high hopes and a good idea. They had no clients."<ref name="ASCE 1976">American Society of Civil Engineers. Philadelphia Section (1976). ''History of civil engineering and construction in the Delaware Valley''</ref> The story how it all started, has been told:

:"... Their ad in [[American Machinist]] drew one response — from the owner of a firm In New York who said he was curious to see a "Modernizing Engineer" and wanted the young men to "drop in sometime". Day and Dodge did drop in and the next morning they added their first client to their list of assets. In the early 1900s time studies, efficiency experts and program planning were virtually unknown. Management and administration had not kept up with dramatic engineering developments. Dodge and Day introduced a new concept which they called Betterment Reports — assessment and evaluation studies to help industries' management become more efficient, aggressive and progressive..."<ref name="ASCE 1976"/><ref>Harold L. Yoh (1981, 11)</ref>

One of the first notable [[engineering]] accomplishments of the [[Day & Zimmermann]] company was the design of the construction of the Gatun Lock System, one of the [[Panama Canal locks]] in 1907. The [[Panama Canal locks#construction|construction of the Gatun Lock]] began with the first concrete laid at Gatun, on August 24, 1909, by the Philadelphia-based company Day, Dodge & Zimmermann.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

[[File:Gatun Locks, Panama Canal LCCN2007664073.tif|thumb|800px|center|Gatun Locks under construction, circa 1913]]

In 1914, the company was contacted by the Hershey chocolate company to produce the foil wrapping machines for [[Hershey's Kisses]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dayzim.com/about/history |title=History |website=Day & Zimmerman |access-date=November 2, 2022 }}</ref>

=== "The Machine Shop Problem," 1903 === In the 1903 paper entitled "The Machine Shop Problem" in the ''Transactions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers'', Day presented a method for the analysis and organization design of machine shops based on the Taylor System. The first subject of discussion was the subdivision of the departments of a machine shop. For this matter a general subdivision and a further subdivision can be made. The following topics of discussion were the means of attaining economical production in the machine shop, the Question of Power Application with Courses to fulfill the conditions, and the advantages derived from the use of individual motors on machine tools. The last topic was the graphical distribution of costs, showing cost value of operations.<ref name="CD 1903">Charles Day (1903)</ref>

=== Routing diagram === The 1909 article in the ''[[Engineering Magazine]]'' entitled ''The routing diagram as a basis for laying out industrial plants'' proposed a new type of graphic illustration of the material flow through industrial plants, named the [[routing diagram]]. The first presentation itself had the following intention:

:"The primary purpose of this article is to call attention to the advantages that can be derived from the use of the graphical routing diagram as a basis for the planning of industrial plants. This diagram, as its name implies, indicates the paths or routes followed by the materials of manufacture when passing from their crude to their finished state, and in its final development it absolutely defines the plant in all particulars of layout."<ref name= "D1909 809">Day (1909, 809)</ref>

The graphic method presented consisted of two types of routing diagram, a ''perspective routing diagram'' and a ''detail routing diagram,'' combined with an exterior view. The article itself gives as an example the design of a gasoline automobile factory. The given graphics deliver complementary views with: * Perspective routing diagram, in outline, showing paths followed during manufacture of principal units entering into gasoline automobiles * Exterior view of automobile plant to which the routing diagram relates * Detail Routing Diagram, Machine-tool equipment and paths or parts in a wagon- and carriage-axle plant These views were illustrated with the following three images:

{{Gallery |title= Set of routing diagrams by Charles Day, 1909 |width=300 | height=300 |align=center |File:Perspective routing diagram, in outline, showing paths followed during manufacture of principal units entering into gasoline automobiles, 1911.jpg |alt1=Perspective routing diagram, in outline |Perspective routing diagram, in outline |File:Exterior view of automobile plant to which the routing diagram relates, 1911.jpg |alt2=Exterior view of automobile plant |Exterior view of automobile plant |File:Detail Routing Diagram, Machine-tool equipment and paths or parts in a wagon- and carriage-axle plant, 1911.jpg |alt3=Detail Routing Diagram |Detail Routing Diagram }}

Despite this clear presentation, neither Charles Day nor anybody else is generally credited for making a seminal contribution to the routing diagram or route diagram. For example, in one of the first seminal works in the field, the 1923 book ''Industrial Management'' by [[Richard H. Lansburgh]], there is a separate chapter "Factory Building and Plant Lay out." This chapter discussed the matter with the similar three types of views, and some more, without any reference to the work of Charles Day. Instead of ''perspective routing diagram'', Lansburgh speaks of ''vertical layout'', and the ''detail routing diagram'' is named a ''[[flow chart]].''<ref>[[Lansburgh, Richard Hines]]. ''[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.166246 Industrial Management].'' John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 1923; 2nd rev. ed, 1928; 3rd ed. with [[William R. Spriegel]], 1940. pp. 135-146</ref>

With the articles of Wrege (1978), Wrege (1999) and others, there is a re-evaluation of these contributions. For example, the ''AA Files'' (2005, p. 50) summarized that:

::... this new route diagram was introduced by efficiency engineer Charles Day (1879–1931) in 1911 as the basis for the layout and design of industrial plants. Assuming that interior function should entirely determine a factory's layout. Day claimed that after the [[flow diagram]] was complete the building 'merely needed to be drawn around it'. This diagrammatic method assured that 'the imagination will not be drawn upon because the assumptions are based on absolute facts and not theory' – a positivist, objective stance that came to dominate ideas about flow diagrams.<ref name="AA 2005"/>

Day was not the first to introduce the concept of routing diagrams. For example, [[James Bray Griffith]] in his 1905 book ''Systematizing'' already contained a section on "[[James Bray Griffith#Charting factory layout and routing|Charting factory layout and routing]]" which contained two simplified routing diagrams for handling lumber, that he called ''arrangements.''<ref>[[Griffith, James Bray]] (ed.). ''[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=osu.32435019309541;view=2up;seq=82 Systematizing].'' International Accountants' Society, inc. Detroit; The Book Keeper Press, 1905. p. 72</ref> Another contemporary, [[Oscar E. Perrigo]], published on the design of machine shops in his ''Modern machine shop'' (1906), looking at machine shop lay out and arrangements of machinery.<ref>[[Oscar E. Perrigo]]. ''[https://archive.org/details/modernmachinesh00perrgoog Modern machine shop: construction, equipment and management]'' New York, The N.W. Henley publishing company, 1906.</ref> In contrast to this work, Day did take this design problem to a next level by putting the dynamic interaction first.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

=== Management of Navy yards === In 1911 Charles Day worked together with [[Henry Gantt]] and [[Harrington Emerson]] to study the management of Navy yards, which didn't work out right. Wren (2009) summarized that "their efforts went for naught when, following the [[Interstate Commerce Commission]] hearings in late 1911, the Secretary of the Navy announced that he would never allow scientific management to be applied in the nation’s shipyards."<ref name="WB 2009">[[Daniel A. Wren]] & [[Arthur G. Bedeian]], ''The evolution of management thought,'' 1972; 6th edition (2009). p. 162</ref>

The breakthrough happened in the same period, as Wren (2009) further explained: :"Just prior to the war, Gantt had also served as a consultant to General [[William Crozier (artillerist)|William Crozier]], head of the U.S. Army Ordnance Department. Crozier, impressed by Gantt’s graphic displays, developed a series of progress and performance charts to aid in managing army arsenals. When Gantt gave up his consulting work to aid in the war effort, he puzzled over how to track the huge amount of defense work being performed at so many different sites. Scheduling was especially crucial, and the information necessary to plan and coordinate private contractors’ efforts with those of government agencies was lacking. Gantt spent three months trying to solve this puzzle before realizing that ''We have all been wrong in scheduling on a basis of quantities; the essential element in the situation is time, and this should be the basis in laying out any program.''..."<ref name="WB 2009"/> The developments set in motion in those days did pave the way to the realization of [[Gantt chart]]s.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

== Reception == === Early charts of information flow === In June 1903 Charles Day had presented a paper entitled ''The Machine Shop Problem'' as described above, in which he proposed a number of charts to be used in management. This paper was first presented at the Saratoga meeting of the [[American Society of Mechanical Engineers]] (ASME). Day, by then still a junior ASME member, had presented his paper to an audience with among others Frederick Winslow Taylor, [[Henry Gantt]] and [[John Calder (engineer)|John Calder]] commenting on his ideas. It was John Calder (1903) who commented:

:"Referring to Mr. Day's graphical method of illustrating certain routine in respect to manufacturing in the shop, I will say I think that is one of the most useful methods which a manager can have before him. It can be carried out in many different ways, so that not only the manager can from time to time refresh his memory as to the duties of the men by graphically illustrating to them, but he can also have the reference there before his eyes in the event of new men coming in, and by means of that graphic representation, can show them how to pick up their work much more quickly and put it through. It also enables one to pick out bad methods and prevent work retrograding. I would say, in conclusion, that the method Mr. Day has brought forward can be used generally, broadly, and also in detail, with great success. I hand in samples of charts which I have drawn up and use daily in the practical work of production..."<ref>ASME, ''[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015023119541;view=1up;seq=1354ASME Transactions],'' Vol. 24, 1903, p. 1320.</ref>

For management historian [[Charles D. Wrege]] the work by Day and Calder were some of the earliest presenting charts of information flow. Wrege et al. (1999) summarized:

:"... Charles Day and [[John Calder (engineer)|John Calder]] revealed a series of charts designed to outline information flow and to demonstrate the advantage of network analysis of alternative methods of modernizing factories..."<ref name="CDW 1999">[[Wrege, Charles D.]], Regina A. Greenwood, and Sakae Hata. "What we do not know about management history: Some categories of research and methods to uncover management history mysteries." Journal of Management History 5.7 (1999): 414-424.</ref>

There is no question one of the charts presented by Day is a network; charts that outline information flows were only presented by Calder. Day presented two [[organizational chart]]s, and four more or less [[classification chart]]s or [[concept map]]s. Furthermore, Wrege et al. (1999) mentioned how the story continued:

:"... Day’s Company, Dodge and Day (later [[Day and Zimmerman]]), utilized his network charts, ''betterment reports'' and early form of ''[[decision tree]]s'' until his death in 1933, building a consulting company worth millions. After Day’s death, Day and Zimmerman reportedly sold Day’s original charts to the Lockheed Company..."<ref name="CDW 1999"/>

For Wrege this was an example of "What we do not know about management history," because "their eventual fate and how they became incorporated into management information systems literature is still a mystery...."<ref name="CDW 1999"/>

=== Personal remembrance === In a 1931 appreciation, the ''Electrical World T & D'' had the following summary of his reputation and accomplishments:

:"Mr. Day was especially known as a specialist in public utility management and operation, although he first established a national reputation as an economist and exponent of manufacturing efficiency in industrial plants. After many years of successful work in the manufacturing field he extended his interest to the public utility field, and it was not long before his contacts became far reaching, embracing both the technical and the financial phases of the business."<ref name="EW 1931"/>

On a more personal level, H. Birchard Taylor (1952) in the first Charles Day lecture remembered: :"If you were to ask me to name Charles Day's personal attributes, I would reply: utter integrity; kindness; inexhaustible energy; and a rare gift of inspiring his associates with enthusiasm towards a constructive objective. His was true leadership..."<ref name="Taylor">H. Birchard Taylor. "Charles Day (1879–1931) Symbol of American Industrial Genius." in: ''Journal of the Franklin Institute,'' Vol. 254, p. 20</ref>

Taylor further expressed Day's experience in [[scientific management]] since the early 1900s, and particularly his dealings with the Navy during World War I.<ref name="Taylor" /> In remembrance of his name, the [[Newcomen Society of the United States|Newcomen Society in North America]] held an annual Charles Day lecture for decades.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

== Selected publications == * Charles Day. ''[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100416634 Machine-tool operation for maximum production],'' New York, etc. 1909. Reprinted from the ''[[Engineering Magazine]].'' * Charles Day. ''[https://archive.org/details/industrialplants00daycrich Industrial plants; their arrangement and construction].'' New York, Engineering Magazine, 1911.

; Articles, a selection<ref>John W. Leonard. "Charles Day", in: ''Who's who in Finance, Banking and Insurance: A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporaries.'' Who's who in finance, incorporated, 1925. p. 245; Lemma listed 8 of the articles mentioned here.</ref>  * Charles Day, "[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015023119541&view=1up&seq=1608 The Machine Shop Problem]," ''Trans. ASME'', Vol. 24 (1903), pp. 1302–1321. (at ''[https://archive.org/details/sim_american-society-of-mechanical-engineers-transactions_1902-1903_24/page/1302/mode/2up archive.org]'') * Charles Day, "[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=msu.31293009970884;view=1up;seq=567 Advanced Practice in Economical Metal Cutting]," ''Engineering Magazine,'' Vol. 27, 1904. pp. 549–566 * Charles Day, "[https://archive.org/stream/journalfranklini158fran#page/320/mode/2up Discussion on the Individual Operation of Machine Tools by Electric Motors]," ''Journal of the Franklin Institute'' 158 (November 1904): pp. 321–352. * Charles Day, "Electric Motors in Machine Shop Service." ''Transactions of the International Electrical Congress, St. Louis, 1904.'' J.B. Lyon Company, 1905. pp. 590–99 * Charles Day, "[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951d00119829d;view=1up;seq=386 Metal-Working Plants, Their Machine-Tool Equipment]," ''Engineering Magazine'' 39 (June–July 1910): pp. 364–76. * Charles Day, "[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951d00119829d;view=1up;seq=557 Metal-Working Plants, Their Machine-Tool Equipment; II: Buildings for heavy and general machine works]" ''Engineering Magazine'' 39 (June–July 1910): pp. 535–48. * Charles Day, "[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015075018690;view=2up;seq=878 The Routing Diagram as a Basis for laying Out Industrial Plants]." ''Engineering Magazine,'' September, 1910. pp. 809–821; Republished in: ''Industrial Plants,'' 1911. Chapter VII. * Charles Day, "[https://archive.org/stream/scientificmanage00thomuoft#page/204/mode/2up Management Principles and the Consulting Engineer]," ''Engineering Magazine,'' April 1911: 133–40; reprinted in: Thompson, Clarence Bertrand, ''Scientific management; a collection of the more significant articles describing the Taylor system of management.'' 1914, pp. 205–216. * Charles Day, "Constructive Policy for Public Service Corporations," ''Proceedings of the Conference of American Mayors on Public Policies as to Municipal Utilities,'' Volume 57. Conference of American Mayors. American Academy of Political and Social Science, 1915. pp. 83–91

== References == {{reflist|2}}

== Further reading == * Margaret Dunning Day, ''CHARLES DAY: A MEMORY; 1879-1931,'' Philadelphia: privately printed 1934. * H. Birchard Taylor, ''Charles Day (1879-1931) Symbol of American Industrial Genius.'' Newcomen Society of North America, 1953.

== External links == {{Commons category}} *{{Philadelphia Architects and Buildings |ar=23320 |Day, Charles (1879–1931)}} *[http://www.dayzim.com/About_DZ/History Day & Zimmermann], history of the firm

{{DEFAULTSORT:Day, Charles}} [[Category:1879 births]] [[Category:1931 deaths]] [[Category:American electrical engineers]] [[Category:Engineers from Philadelphia]] [[Category:University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni]] [[Category:Members of the American Philosophical Society]]