Alexander Lyman Holley

Alexander Lyman Holley (Lakeville, Connecticut, July 20, 1832 – Brooklyn, New York, January 29, 1882) was an American mechanical engineer, inventor, and founding member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). He was considered the foremost steel and plant engineer and designer of his time, especially in regard to applying research to modern steel manufacturing processes. Biography Born in Lakeville, Connecticut in 1832, Holley graduated from Brown University in 1853. He worked at Corlias & Nightingale (Corliss Steam Engine Works) as a workman and student. He also served as a locomotive engineer on Stonington and Providence Railroad, and then entered the New York Locomotive Works as a draughtsman. During his early 20s, Holley was a close friend of Zerah Colburn, the well-known locomotive engineer and journalist/publisher who founded Railway Advocate and later the journal to Holley. In 1857, the two visited Britain and France to study the rail system and compiled a report for the presidents of American railroads, The Permanent Way published in 1858. Around the same time, Holley wrote to The New York Times accurately predicting screw propulsion would supersede side wheels for ocean navigation. Holley was also a construction consultant for development of Stevens Battery.