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Professor Mansfield Merriman Lecture Notes Taken by Edgar A. Borhek, 1904

 Collection
Identifier: SC MS0266

Scope and Contents

The material is a single volume measuring 26 x 20 x 2 cm, cover is of black pebbly surfaced leather with brown smooth leather corners and spine trimmed in gold. There is a paper label trimmed in red with the title CONSTRUCTION. Vol. 2 E. Borhek. The front cover has separated from the spine. Spine is in very poor condition. Inside the cover is a Lehigh University Library book plate indicating a Gift of Winter L(incoln) Wilson who was from the CE Class of 1888, and MS 1901. On the title page in black ink is Volume II. Notes of Lectures on Engineering Construction by Professor Merriman, Lehigh University Feb-June 1904 E.A. Borhek, ’06 with a red ink property mark of Lehigh University Library Sep. 16 1937. On page 2 is an Index listing Lecture 31 through Lecture 59. On page 3 which is blank is the accession number 188803 in blue ink. There is no record of volume 1.

Dates

  • 1904

Conditions Governing Access

Collection housed remotely. Users need to contact 24 hours in advance.

Conditions Governing Use

Collection is open for research. Please inquire about copyright information.

Biographical / Historical

Edgar Ashton Borhek, Lehigh Class of 1906, was one of several members of the Borhek Family to attend Lehigh University. The Borhek Family was a prominent merchant family in Bethlehem. Estella Borhek, a daughter of the family married Archibald Johnston, first mayor of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and a vice-president of Bethlehem Steel Corporation. Mansfield Merriman was a prominent civil engineer, as well as a civil engineering professor at Lehigh University. He is especially well known for his studies in hydraulics having established the first hydraulics laboratory at an academic institution (Lehigh University) in the United States. He and his students studied water flow especially the hydraulic jump. The water source was a stream that came down the north face of the Lehigh Mountain in the vicinity of Williams Hall. The actual laboratory building was located in the vicinity of what is now occupied by Chandler-Ullmann building and Fritz Laboratory. Professor Merriman also consulted on the Manhattan Bridge as well as authored many engineering books and many engineering projects as reflected in the lecture notes taken by Mr. Borhek.

Extent

1 book, .25 linear feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The lecture notes reflect an interesting view into the field of civil engineering at the turn of the twentieth century. The notes indicate that a student in civil engineering was expected to have a multidisciplinary diversity. Some examples given in the lectures illustrate the broad field of knowledge possessed by Professor Mansfield Merriman.

Arrangement

The arrangement of the material is numerically by Lecture number, Page 4 through 172 with the title of each lecture and the page number on which each lecture title begins and the date the lecture was given.

Other Finding Aids

Many engineering titles authored by Mansfield Merriman and his students.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This volume was accessioned September 16, 1937 apparently the gift of Winter L[incoln] Wilson, Lehigh Class of 1888 in Civil Engineering. Mr. Wilson died July 15, 1937.

Existence and Location of Originals

Lehigh University, Linderman Library, Special Collections

Related Materials

Many engineering titles authored by Mansfield Merriman.

Author
Ilhan Citak and Eleanor Nothelfer
Date
September 3, 2013
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Lehigh University Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Lehigh University
Linderman Library
30 Library Drive
Bethlehem PA 18045 USA
610-758-4506
610-758-6091 (Fax)