Charles Proteus Steinmetz
| Charles Proteus Steinmetz | |
|---|---|
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| Born |
Karl August Rudolph Steinmetz April 9, 1865 Breslau, Province of Silesia, Prussia |
| Died | October 26, 1923 (aged 58) Schenectady, New York, United States |
| Resting place | Vale Cemetery |
| Occupation | Mathematician and electrical engineer |
| Known for |
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| Parent(s) |
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| Awards | Elliott Cresson Medal (1913) |
Charles Proteus Steinmetz (April 9, 1865 – October 26, 1923; birth-name: Karl August Rudolph Steinmetz) was a German-born American mathematician and electrical engineer and professor at Union College. He fostered the development of alternating current that made possible the expansion of the electric power industry in the United States, formulating mathematical theories for engineers. He made ground-breaking discoveries in the understanding of hysteresis that enabled engineers to design better electromagnetic apparatus equipment including especially electric motors for use in industry.
Steinmetz was born Karl August Rudolph Steinmetz on April 9, 1865 in Breslau, Province of Silesia, the son of Caroline (Neubert) and Karl Heinrich Steinmetz. He was baptized a Lutheran, the religion his family "nominally" belonged to. Steinmetz suffered from dwarfism, hunchback, and hip dysplasia, as did his father and grandfather. Steinmetz attended Johannes Gymnasium and astonished his teachers with his proficiency in mathematics and physics.
Following the Gymnasium, Steinmetz went on to the University of Breslau to begin work on his undergraduate degree in 1883. He was on the verge of finishing his doctorate in 1888 when he came under investigation by the German police for activities on behalf of a socialist university group and articles he had written for a local socialist newspaper.
As socialist meetings and press had been banned in Germany, Steinmetz fled to Zürich in 1888 to escape possible arrest. Faced with an expiring visa, he emigrated to the United States in 1889. He changed his first name to "Charles" in order to sound more American, and chose the middle name "Proteus" after a childhood epithet given to him by classmates. Proteus was a wise hunchbacked character from the Odyssey who knew many secrets, and Steinmetz felt the name suited him.
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