Obituary for Irving P. Church
The Ithaca Journal, May 8 1931, P. 5, Cols. 1-2, with photo
'I.P. Church, 80, Dead, Taught Many Years
Distinguished Engineering Authority Active on Cornell Faculty Nearly Half Century -- Endeared Himself to Students -- Long Ill
Irving Porter Church, emeritus professor of civil engineering at Cornell University, died this morning at his home, 9 South Avenue, after an illness of about two years.
Professor Church was born in Ansonia, Conn., in 1851, the son of Dr. Samuel P. Church and Elizabeth Sterling Church. His early education was in the schools there and later in Newburgh, whence he came to Cornell. Three years after his graduation in 1873 he was appointed assistant professor of civil engineering. In 1891 he became associate professor and in 1892 full professor.
Upon his retirement in 1916 he was made emeritus professor.
== Two Daughters Survive ==
In 1881 Professor Church married Elizabeth P. Holley of Niagara Falls, who died in 1903. Two daughters, Edith of Ithaca, and Elsie Church Atkinson of Wellesley. Mass., and two grandchildren, Willam Church Atkinson and Elizabeth Holley Atkinson, survive him.
Although of an unusually retiring nature, Professor Church endeared himself to many generations of students, and was not only recognized as an expert in civil engineering, but has been called "the Father of Mechanics." This appellation he received because of his book,
"The Mechanics of Engineering," published first in three volumes and later as one work in 1890, which revolutionized the subject and methods of teaching of mechanics, and is still used as an authority.
Shortly after his retirement, in tribute to him as teacher and friend, the alumni of the College of Civil Engineering presented to the University a portrait of Professor Church, by the artist J. Campbell Phillips of New York, and the sum of $2,500 in Liberty bonds, to form the Irving P. Church Fund, the income of which is used to purchase books for the library of the College.
In presenting the portrait, William D. Kelley '80 expressed the affection of the old students for Professor Church and their sense of his great services to the college and to engineering science during so many years.
== Awarded Lamme Medal ==
A still greater tribute to Professor Church came in 1929 when he was awarded the Benjamin G. Lammé gold medal "for accomplishment in technical teaching and actual advancement of the art of technical training." This medal is given to outstanding men by the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education.
Funeral services will be held on Monday afternoon at 5 o'clock at the home, 9 South Avenue. Rev. H. P. Horton will officiate. Interment will be in the City Cemetery.
Various colleagues of Professor Church spoke in tribute to him this morning as follows:
== From Dean Kimball ==
Dean Kimball: "The death of Prof. Irving P. Church removes one of the great pioneer figures in engineering education in the United States, and one of the most successful teachers Cornell University has ever possessed, Without doubt his early writings on Mechanics of Engineering exerted a profound influence upon engineering education and teachers trained in his classes are to be found wherever engineering is taught in this country. No higher recognition of this fact could be found than in the award to him two years ago by the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education of the Lammé Gold Medal for distinguished service in engineering education.
"Professor Church was a man of singular personal charm. Quiet and retiring, he possessed a rare humor for which he will long be remembered. His interests were many and scholarly, ranging from music to astronomy, and his kindliness was proverbial. No student ever went to him for help and came away disappointed. A host of teachers and former students will mourn the passing of this kindly, scholarly gentleman, who has so deeply impressed himself upon his chosen field, and who did so much to establish the standards and reputation of civil engineering at Cornell University."
== Education Loses Force ==
Prof. H. N. Ogden: "In the death o! Professor Church, technical education has lost a great force.
He has represented to Cornell Engineering students for the past halt century the foundation principle of good engineering, viz., that all good design must be based on the principles of Mechanics. He was, with Professor Fuertes and Crandall the founder of the present day technical school distinguished from the trade schools.
"His Influence has been profound not only because of the clear pedagogical methods of his text books, and of his personal stimulus to the sluggish minds of his students, but also because for all these years he has freely given his advice and assistance to all old students applying to him for aid.
"He was stimulating, also, though more indirectly by his evident culture. His knowledge of literature and of the fine arts, occasionally referred to in classes, his ability as a musician, made him an outstanding figure among the self-taught engineers so common in the profession when he began his teaching. His gentle courteous attitude towards his students was invariably maintained and even in faculty meetings he was always a soothing influence. He was a great teacher."
== Successor's Eulogy ==
Prof. S. G. George, successor to Professor Church as head of the Department of Mechanics:
"For 40 years, until 1916, he was an active and outstanding member of the Faculty of Civil Engineering. During this period of the development of engineering instruction in the United States, he found it necessary to produce the text used in his courses, while at the same time he carried on the work of teaching classes of students and assisting in a broad way in the discussions of engineering subjects in the technical press of the country.
"His influence as a teacher of men who later carried on engineering education at Cornell and elsewhere was remarkable. The 40 classes privileged to have the benefit of his Instruction can never forget him. His work will go on for many generations through the inspiration he has left to his successors"'