Friday, February 28, 2020

Charles Day - Pennsylvania Gazette - 2 December 1921



...membership of the Board of Trustees of the University were filled at the meeting of the Trustees on Monday, November 21. Charles Day, 1899 C., succeeds the late J. Levering Jones.

Mr. Day was born in Philadelphia, May 15, 1879. He graduated from the Engineering Department, University of Pennsylvania, in 1899 with the degree of B. S. in Electrical Engineering. He likewise received the degree of Mechanical Engineer in 1903. He was a member of the firm of Dodge and Day, consulting engineers, formed in 1901. John E. Zimmerman, also a University of Pennsylvania man, entered the firm about 1908, and the business was incorporated as Day and Zimmerman, Inc., shortly thereafter.

Mr. Day, following his graduation from the University, devoted himself almost exclusively to industrial problems bearing upon manufacturing efficiency. His intensive work in this field led to his recognition as an authority on industrial plants, and after many years of successful design and construction work he put in book form the salient features of his lectures at Lehigh, Columbia and Harvard.

Since the activities of Day and Zimmerman, Inc., extended into the public utility field about 12 years ago, Mr. Day has become one of the authorities on public service corporations. His company is at present engaged as consultant to some of the most important banking interests in the country.

In addition to being president of Day and Zimmerman, Inc., he is an officer or a member of the board of directors of a large number of public utility corporations which are operated by his firm. He is also vice-president and director of the Franklin Institute and a director of the Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades and the Philadelphia Trust Company.

Shortly after the United States entered the world war Mr. Day was made a member of the Storage Committee of the General Munitions Board, which committee was continued under the War Industries Board. He was also appointed a member of the Depot Board by the Secretary of War. This board was instructed to inquire into storage and terminal facilities and conditions.

About October 1, 1917, he was made a member of the Committee of Observation, appointed by Edward N. Hurley, to report concerning conditions of the shipyards. The other members of this committee were Charles Piez (chairman) and Arthur Mason.

October 26, 1917, he accompanied Colonel House's mission to England and France as engineering adviser for the Shipping Board representative. In this connection he made a study of the Allied shipping situation in relation to both military and civilian needs. Matters with which he was chiefly concerned bore upon the relative rates of sinking and building of troop and cargo ships, tonnage required to move overseas and supply the troops which it was proposed to send to France and the bearing of these and other factors upon our shipbuilding and other programs at home. This work brought him in contact with the leaders of British and French shipping ministries, as well as General Pershing and Admiral Sims. Upon Mr. Day's return to this country he was made a member of the Army War Council through appointment by the Secretary of War. He was also made a trustee of the United States Shipping Board, Emergency Fleet Corporation, with a view to keep ing that body fully informed concerning the War Department's requirements.

As a member of the Army War Council Mr. Day devoted the major part of his time to shipping problems arising in connection with the transportation of troops and cargo.

In July, 1918, he went to France with Edward R. Stettinius to secure information concerning the adequacy of port facilities for the rapidly increasing fleet. While in France he had numerous opportunities to confer with General Pershing, General Atterbury and members of General Pershing's staff. He also attended several meetings of the Interallied Maritime Transport Council in London, and later he joined Secretary of War Baker, who had gone over with General Hines, chief of embarkation service. Mr. Day returned with Secretary Baker just prior to the signing of the Armistice.

During his absence abroad he collaborated with the American heads of the Interallied Maritime Transport Council, being directly associated with Dwight W. Morrow, who represented the American shipping interests, at the headquarters of the A. E. F.



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