Renwick, James, Sr.

Renwick, James, Sr.

(1792–1863) engineer, educator; born in Liverpool, England. Coming to the U.S.A. as a child, he graduated from Columbia University, becoming a professor there (1820–53). A highly respected authority in engineering and science, he contributed particularly to canal and railroad building and to problems relating to the steam engine. He developed the use of inclined planes for transporting canal boats over elevations.