“The Outstanding Civil Engineering Career of Robert J. Cummins, P.E. No. 15, 1953 Houston Engineer of the Year”
For the ASCE Houston Branch & Houston Engineers Week:
Tues. 11:00am Feb. 16, 2016
Jerry R. Rogers, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE, Distinguished M.ASCE
Robert James Cummins (RJC) was born in Belfast (Mountmellick), Ireland on March 1, 1881. RJC attended Queens College of the Royal Univ. of Ireland, graduating in 1899, 1900 with a Bachelor in Engineering and also an Arts degree. RJC began engineering in 1901 for ten years in Detroit, MI for the city and Grasset Concrete and Steel Co.
In 1911, Robert J. Cummins moved to Houston to practice civil engineering as Adams and Cummins, being an early provider of structural engineering services. In 1918, RJC was a charter member and co‐founder of the Houston Engineers Club (HESS) (Houston Engineering and Scientific Society) and served as President. RJC designed First City Bank Building (first use of Houston welded steel beam), Chamber of Commerce Building, Houston Post Dispatch (22 stories), Rice Hotel Annex (20 stories), E. Cullen Building (UH), National Biscuit Co. ($5 M), YWCA, Hughes Tool Co. ($2 M), and about 15+ other structures.....totaling $400 M.
Some of Cummins larger buildings are shown below: First City National Bank, Chamber of Commerce, Houston Post Dispatch, 1944: U.S. Naval Hospital (V.A., DeBakey), Ezekiel Cullen Building (UH),.......
Cummins pioneered the use of welded steel frame design and construction (instead of riveting), including that in the Gulf Building, 36 stories, the tallest building in Houston (from completion in 1929 to 1963), an ASCE National Historic CE Landmark designated in 1997.
Cummins designed the Anderson Clayton wharves and warehouses ($1.1 M) and served as an initial member on the Port of Houston Commission for 25 years, with 15 years as V. C.
For his service to the Port of Houston and lay‐
outs for harbors for ports in Corpus Christi, Brownsville, and contributions to port facilities in Beaumont, Port Arthur, Freeport and Orange, Robert J. Cummins has been called: “THE FATHER OF TEXAS PORTS!”
The Houston Ship Channel was completed in 1914 and became an ASCE National CE Landmark in 1987.
RJC was involved with initial planning and development of the ports of Corpus Christi and Brownsville. Corpus Christi voters approved a navigation district/commission, to plan the port, opening in 1926 with four cargo docks. Voters approved the Brownsville Navigation District in 1923 to build a 17‐mile channel. The Brownsville port was 32 ft. deep and 200 ft. wide with a turning basin 36 ft. x 1000 ft. In 1937 after passage of the Texas Engineering Registration law, Robert J. Cummins obtained Texas P.E. No. 15.
From 1918 to 1921 Cummins taught a senior engineering class at Rice Institute (Rice University). RJC was an active member of the Rotary Club with 35 years of perfect attendance. During the 1930s, Cummins was Special Engineering Consultant to Jesse H. Jones who led the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. RJC was a consultant for San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Project to accommodate trains. Cummins was advisor for Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. California and Internat. Boundary Comm.
In other community service, Cummins led the passage of the 1925 HISD $3 M bond issue. RJC was Chairman of Board of Travelers Aid Society.
RJC was on the Houston Chamber of Commerce Board. Cummins chaired the Chamber committee conducting the first Houston air quality study over a 24 month period.
RJC chaired the Harris County Drainage District Board for 12 years.
Cummins was an initial member of Central Presbyterian Church, and served for 40 years as Treasurer.
For his most famous project, Robert J. Cummins was Structural Engineer for the design of the San Jacinto Monument, built from 1936‐1939.
The SJM reinforced concrete shaft is 45 feet square at its base with a height of 570 feet, the tallest concrete column in the world. The foundation has a reinforced concrete mat 125 feet square, 15 feet thick at the center, tapering to 5 feet thick at the perimeter. Over a 57 hour period, the mat foundation had to be poured continuously. The monument was designed for 125 mph winds.
The first SJM national technical paper: Robert J. Cummins, Monument Engineer, Houston: “Design of the San Jacinto Monument,” “Poor Soil Conditions Require Very Large Spread Footing for 549‐ Ft. Shaft,” Civil Engineering, July 1937, 484‐486, was presented April 22, 1937 at ASCE Conference, Construction & Structural Divisions, San Antonio.
The unique monument construction involved concrete lifts, achieved by an ingenious system of suspended scaffolds, raised after each pour. Slabs of Texas Cordova limestone, the exterior finish material, for the wall were used as the outside form for the concrete pour. When completed, the scaffolds were taken out through the central elevator shaft.
A 220 ton, nine point star (34 feet wide) made of stone, steel and concrete was secured on top. In 1992, the San Jacinto Monument was designated an ASCE National Historic CE Landmark, nominated by Stan Sarman, Martha Juch and Jerry Rogers, with the plaque in the monument shop area.
In 1940, Robert J. Cummins served as President of the ASCE Texas Section and was 1942 ASCE Texas Director. In 1945, RJC received the Navy Certificate of Achievement for design of the U.S. Naval Hospital (Veterans Hospital, DeBakey).
In Feb. 1951, Cummins was Chair of the ASCE National Conference in Houston.
In February 1953, Cummins, was selected as 3rd
Houston Engineer of the Year, nominated by the San Jacinto Chapter, in which RJC was active.
In 1954, Robert J. Cummins was selected as an ASCE National Honorary Member, the first from Texas. RJC was an honorary member of Chi Epsilon (UT) and Tau Beta Pi (A & M).
Houston Engineer of the Year: 1953 –
Robert J. Cummins (from HEOY slides):
a. Founded Robert J. Cummins Co. (Houston).
b. Pioneer in the engineering development of the Port of Houston, initial member of the Houston port commission, served as vice president for 15 years.
c. Worked with architect Alfred C. Finn & Jesse H. Jones to design San Jacinto Monument in the 1930’s.
Robert J. Cummins married Sascha Morrison (of Ireland, London) in 1926 and they had three children: a son and two daughters: May and Jean. The son, James A. Cummins, served as a member of the 432nd Engineers Construction Battalion at Fort Miles, Delaware. In 1957‐1958, Jim Cummins was Secretary of the ASCE Houston Branch, serving as President in 1959‐1960. Jim Cummins was selected as 1960 Young Man of the Year by the Houston Junior Chamber of Commerce. Robert J. Cummins passed away June 11, 1960, at the age of 79. The funeral was held at his church: Central Presbyterian Church of Houston where he was Treasurer for 40 years. In 1950s, RJC was designing $200,000‐ $500,000 in wharves along the Houston Ship Channel.
http://structurae.net/structures/reliant..... :
With structural engineers: Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc., the engineering office of Robert J. Cummins, was involved in planning of Harris Co. Domed Stadium (Astrodome), opening in 1965. The Astrodome was an ASCE Texas Outstanding CE (OCEA) project in 1966.
For 2016 Houston Engineers Week at HESS, I hope you have enjoyed learning of: “The Outstanding Civil Engineering Career of Robert J. Cummins, P.E. No. 15, 1953 Houston Engineer of the Year, National Honorary Member‐ ASCE.”