Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech
Frank J. Maher Papers
Maher, Frank J. (Francis Joseph), 1915-
Ms.1986.004
4.5 Cubic Feet
3 boxes
1934-1986
Please note: This collection is in off-site storage and requires 2-3 days notice for retrieval. Please contact Special Collections and University archives for more information.
Papers--including writings, drawings, and correspondence--of Frank J. Maher (1915-1995), an engineer specializing in aerodynamic research and an instructor in Engineering Science and Mechanics at Virginia Tech from 1937 to 1978. Includes consulting files and wind tunnel research on various building and bridge projects; research project files on aerodynamics and wind loads; academic courses; and materials relating to engineer and bridge designer David B. Steinman.
The materials in the collection are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.
Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction. Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Frank J. Maher Papers, Ms1986-004, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
Source of Acquisition
The Frank J. Maher Papers were donated to Special Collections and University Archives in 1986.
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of the Frank J. Maher Papers commenced in September, 2024, and was completed in November, 2024.
Biographical Notes
Francis Joseph Maher was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 11, 1915. After obtaining a bachelor's degree in engineering at Manhattan College (1936), he attended graduate school at Virginia Polytehcnic Institute and State University. He earned a master's degree in civil engineering in 1937, and that same year joined the faculty at Virginia Tech, where he specialized in studying aerodynamics and wind loads and provided consultation for many civil engineering projects. In the course of his career, Maher received the Wine Award for teaching (1960), The Western Electric Fund Award of the American Society for Engineering Education (1965), and a place among the Outstanding Educators of America (1973). Maher married Jean Page Howard (1915-2009) in Roanoke, Virginia, on July 11, 1939; the couple had two children. Maher retired from teaching in 1978, and the College of Engineering Science continues (as of 2024) to award a student scholarship in his name. Francis J. Maher died August 10, 1995, and was buried in Westview Cemetery, Blacksburg, Virginia. That same year, the university esbablished the Frank J. Maher Professorship in Engineering Science and Mechanics.
Scope and Content
This collection contains the papers of Francis ("Frank") J. Maher, a professor of engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) from 1937 to 1978. The collection includes Maher's consulting and wind tunnel testing files (including notes, drawings, correspondence, and printed materials) on a number of bridge and building design projects, most notable of these perhaps being the Mackinac Bridge, designed by David B. Steinman. Also among Maher's office files are files pertaining to his academic career, including general academic administrative correspondence, and to his academic research on aerodynamics and wind loads. Maher's professional relationship with engineer and bridge designer David B. Steinman, for whom he frequently provided testing services, is reflected in a collection of correspondence and printed materials by Steinman. The collection includes notes, drawings, correspondence, and photographs.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in three series:
Series I. Testing and Consulting, 1947-1982. This series contains files relating to Maher's consulting and wind tunnel testing on a number of building and bridge civil engineering projects, including several for engineer and bridge designer David B. Steinman, the most significant perhaps being the Mackinac Bridge. Included in the series are notes, reports, project drawings, correspondence, printed materials, and photographs. The series is arranged alphabetically by name of project or design firm.
Series II. Academic Research and Instruction, 1934-1986. Files relating to Maher's instruction and general academic research may be found in this series. Included are a number of files relating to research on wind loads on various types of structures (domes
and tall buildings among these), including materials from a few conferences attended by Maher. Also in the series are a few folders relating specifically to Maher's teaching career, including course and lecture background materials. A selection of Maher's articles and unpublished papers completes the series. The series is arranged by material type.
Series III. David B. Steinman, 1941-1986. Included in this series are files relating to Maher's professional relationship with Steinman, a civil engineer and designer. The series contains four letters and two Christmas cards from Steinman, other correspondence relating to him, and printed materials relating to his life and work. The series also contains a collection of published materials written by Steinman, and a folder relating to a plaque on the Virginia Tech campus honoring Steinman.The series is arranged by material type.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
The guide to the Frank J. Maher Papers by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).
Faculty and staff
Science and Technology
University History
Bridges
Civil engineering
Wind tunnels
Virginia Polytechnic Institute (1944-1970)
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1970-)
Series I. Testing and Consulting1947-1982American Motors Corporation Building (Smithfield, Michigan)1973-1974, n.d.11Belle Heth and McHarg schools (Radford, Virginia; C. Pearson , architect; Poulton, Maher and Blake, structural engineers)1955, n.d.12Blue Cross / Blue Shield Building (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)197113Bosporus [i.e., Bosphorus] Bridge (Istanbul, Turkey; David B. Steinman, consulting engineer)1959, n.d.14Clinch Valley College academic building (Wise, Virginia)1957-1958, n.d.[2 folders]15Commodore Barry Bridge (Chester, Pennsylvania)1964-1979, n.d.[7 folders]16Commodore Barry Bridge (Chester, Pennsylvania): Boeing test results1973, n.d.[4 folders]17Corsell, Peter Associates1974-197518First and Merchants Bank (Radford, Virginia)1953, n.d.19First Union Plaza (Charlotte, North Carolina)1973-1975, n.d.110Genesee River Bridge1981111Glenwood Baptist Church (Danville, Virginia; Francis Atkins, architect; Poulton, Maher and Blake, structural engineers)1956-1957, n.d.112Gov. William Preston Lane Bridge (Chesapeake Bay; J. E. Greiner Company, designers)1967-1970, n.d.[5 folders]113Greiner Engineering Sciences1975, n.d.114Hancock, John W. Jr. Inc.1972, n.d.115Hollins College chapel (Roanoke, Virginia; Frantz and Addkison, architects)1957-1958, n.d.[3 folders]116Independence Center (Charlotte, North Carolina)1981-1982[2 folders]21Instrument Corporation of America - manufacturing plant addition (Blacksburg, Virginia; Dan Nickline, architect)1953, n.d.22Irvin Industries: Wind-supported structures1969-1973, n.d.[4 folders]23Jefferson Arch (Gateway Arch)(St. Louis; David B. Steinman, consulting engineer)1947-1976, n.d.[2 folders]24Leslie Coal Mine (Sidney, Kentucky) 1975-1978, n.d.25Mackinac Bridge - testing (Mackinaw City, Michigan; David B. Steinman, designer)1950-1954, n.d.[3 folders]26Mackinac Bridge - printed materials (Mackinaw City, Michigan; David B. Steinman, designer)1951-1976, n.d.[2 folders]27The Bridge at Mackinac: New Northwest Passage - in Michigan - a Dramatic Story in Colorn.d.Brown, Prentiss M. The Mackinac Bridge Story1956"Dedication of Michigan's Mackinac Bridge," The Australasian Engineer1958"'Mighty Mac': Story of the Mackinac Bridge," The Australasian Engineer1959"Mighty Mack: There's Something About the Gigantic Bridge That's Almost Human"1976"Prize Bridges 1958"[1958?]"Proposed Mackinac Straits Bridge Preliminary Report"1951"The World's Great Suspension Bridges: Comparative Magnitude"n.d.Market Street East / URA Building Complex (Philadelphia; Bower and Fradley, architects)1973-1974, n.d.28Mercantile Tower Center (St. Louis; Thompson Ventulett, and Stainback, architects)1972-1973, n.d.29Municipal Stadium (Bayamon, Puerto Rico; Hernandez and Hernandez, consulting engineers)1969, n.d.210Narrows Bridge: David B. Steinman correspondence1948-1950211North Carolina National Bank (Charlotte, North Carolina)1972, n.d.212North Carolina National Bank Phase II (Charlotte, North Carolina)1975213Norton Dam (Norton, Virginia; R. Stuart Royer and Associates, designers)1953, n.d.[2 folders]214Thompson, Ramo and Wooldridge - engine test dolly1962-1964, n.d.215VPI Coliseum (Blacksburg, Virginia)1966, n.d.216Woodstock Dam (Woodstock, Virginia; R. Stuart Royer and Associates, consulting engineers)1954-1957, n.d.[3 folders]217Series II. Academic Research and Instruction1934-1986F. J. Maher personal data sheet1981, n.d.218F. J. Maher student paper on governors and lubricators1934219Academic correspondence1964-1981220Aerodynamic response of long H sections1973-1979, n.d.[4 folders]221Wind loads on domes1970-1986, n.d.31Wind loads on tall buildings (Rheinhold)1978-1979, n.d.32Wind pressure on structural shells1964-196533Wind tunnel studies of interference and interactions of adjacent structures1971-1977, n.d.[4 folders]34Wind tunnel models and operations photographsn.d.35General research correspondence1965-1981, n.d.36Engineering Science and Mechanics course materials1963-1976, n.d.37"Wind Engineering" lecture1983, n.d.38Background materials for talks1960-1973, n.d.39Maher articles and papers1941-1979[6 folders]310"Aerodynamic Forces in a Tall Building Model on a Turbulent Boundary Layer" (with T. A. Reinhold and H. W. Tieleman)1977"Aerodynamic Forces on a Tall Building in a Turbulent Boundary Layer" (with T. A. Reinhold and H. W. Tieleman)1978"Aerodynamic Modeling"n.d."Conception Actuelle des Batiments Eleves Tenant Compte des Charges de Vent"n.d."Design Courses - Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow"1970"Discussion of 'Strains Induced in Transmission Lines by Aeolian Vibration' by Robert F. Steidel, Jr."1958, n.d.[3 typescript drafts]"Dynamic Tests of Suspension Bridge Section Models" (with L. A. Becker; supplement by D. B. Steinman), Bulletin of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, vol. 48, no. 6 (Engineering Experiment Station Series, no. 98)1955"The Effect of Wind Direction on the Static and Dynamic Wind Loads on a Square-Section Tall Building"1978"Effects of Turbulence on Bridge Model Torsional Stability" (with Timothy A. Reinhold and Henry W. Tieleman), Journal of the Structural Division1976"Helix Warping in Helical Compression Springs" (with D. H. Pletta), Bulletin of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, v. 34, no. 15 (Engineering Experiment Station Series, no. 47)1941"Helix Warping in Helical Compression Springs"[1939?]"Interactions of Square Prisms in Two Flow Fields" (with Timothy A. Reinhold and Henry W. Tieleman)n.d."Interaction of Square Prisms in Two Flow Fields" (with Timothy A. Reinhold and Henry W. Tieleman)1977"Investigation of a Grid Induced Turbulent Environment for Wind Tunnel Testing" (with T. A. Reinhold and H. W. Tieleman)1974"Load-Deflection Characteristics of Helical Springs" (with D. H. Pletta), Bulletin of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, v. 34, no. 15 (Engineering Experiment Station Series, no. 47)1941"Mean and Fluctuating Forces and Torques on a Tall Building Model of Square Cross-Section" (with T. A. Reinhold, P. R. Sparks, and H. W. Tieleman)1979"Model Studies of Wind Loads on Flat-Top Cylinders" (with David M. Purdy and Daniel Frederick), Journal of the Structural Division, Proceedings of the American Society of Civil Engineers1967"Motivation in the Engineering Classroom"1963"Simulation of the Urban Neutral Boundary Layer for the Model Study of Wind Loads on Tall Buildings" (with T. A. Reinhold and H. W. Tieleman)1978"Tests Confirm Steinman Theory of Bridge Oscillations," Civil Engineering, vol. 23, no. 81953"Wake Study of Stiffening Truss and Box Girder" (with Timothy A. Reinhold and Henry W. Tieleman), Journal of the Structural Division1976"Wind Engineering at Virginia Tech," The Virginia Engineer, vol. 28, no. 31978"Wind Load Research: Some Unanswered Questions and Anticipated Problems"n.d."Wind Loads on Basic Dome Shapes," Journal of the Structural Division, Proceedings of the American Society of Civil Engineers1965"Wind Loads on Dome-Cylinder and Dome-Cone Shapes," Journal of the Structural Division, Proceedings of the American Society of Civil Engineers1966"Wind Loads on Kresge Auditorium and Traveler's Building," Journal of the Structural Division, Proceedings of the American Society of Civil Engineers1969"Wind Pressure on Structural Shells"1965"Wind Tunnel Model Tests of Coosa River Pipeline Bridge," Bulletin of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, vol. 46, no. 6 (Engineering Experiment Station, no. 84)1953"Wind Tunnel Tests of Aqueduct Race Track Roof"1957"Wind Tunnel Tests of Suspension Bridge Section Models" (with D. Frederick, E. R. Estes, and David B. Steinman), Bulletin of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, vol. 41, no. 6 (Engineering Experiment Station Series, no. 69)1948"Winds of Change Hit Modern Tall Buildings"1974Conference on Wind Loads on Structures1970311"Proceedings: Second U. S. National Conference on Wind Engineering Research"1975312"Technical Meeting Concerning Wind Loads on Buildings and Structures on Buildings and Structures"1969313Engineering printed materials1934-1979314Edwards, Llewellyn N., "The Evolution of Early American Bridges," Paper (Maine Technology Experiment Station, University of Maine), no. 151934Gronquist, C. H., "Sault Ste. Marie Bridge Design," Engineering Journal1961Mason, A. Hughlett and Dean S. Carder," Vibration Frequencies of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge," Journal of the Structural Division, Proceedings of the American Society of Civil Engineers1967"Virginia Tech Claim Not Idle Boast," The Virginia Engineer, vol. 29, no. 11979Series III. David B. Steinman1941-1986David B. Steinman correspondence and subject file1948-1986, n.d.315David B. Steinman articles and papers1941-1960, n.d.[8 folders]316"Aerodynamic Stability and the Mackinac Bridge," Technion Yearbook1957"Report: the Aerodynamic Stability of the Mackinac Bridge"1955"The Aerodynamic Stability of the Mackinac Bridge: Final Report" (with F. B. Farquharson)1955"Aerodynamic Theory of Bridge Oscillations," Paper, American Society of Civil Engineers, no. 24201950Architecture and Design, vol. 181954-06"Award of the Norman Model: Response"1951Beaute des Ponts1953"The Bridge," The American Engineer1950-08"Bridges: the Web of Modern Ground Transportation Is Only As Strong As Its Bridges. ...," Scientific American1954-11"Bridges: Steinman, Boynton, Gronquist & London"n.d."Bridges and Aerodynamics," American Toll Bridge Association Proceedings1941"Bridges and Aerodynamics," Transactions of the New York Academy of Sciences1954-01"Brucken mit grossen Spannweiten"n.d."Design of Bridges Against Wind: I. General Considerations--Aerostatic Stability," Civil Engineering, vol. 15, no. 101945-10"Design of Bridges Against Wind: II. Aerodynamic Instability: Historical Background," Civil Engineering, vol. 15, no. 111945-11"Design of Bridges Against Wind: III. Elementary Explanation of Aerodynamic Instability," Civil Engineering, vol. 15, no. 121945-12"Design of Bridges Against Wind: IV. Aerodynamic Instability: Prevention and Cure," Civil Engineering, vol. 16, no. 11946-01"Design of Bridges Against Wind: V. Criteria for Assuring Aerodynamic Stability," Civil Engineering, vol. 16, no. 21946-02"Design of Bridges Against Wind: Symposium," Civil Engineering1945-10-1946-02"The Design of the Mackinac Bridge for Aerodynamic Stability," Journal of the Franklin Institute, vol. 2621956-12"Discussion of Aerodynamic Theory of Bridge Oscillations," Proceedings, American Society of Civil Engineers, vol. 76, separate no. D-XX1950-07A Dream Comes True: the Mackinac Bridgen.d."The Engineer: a Parable," The Virginia Tech Engineer1952-02"The Engineer in a Changing World," The Hudson Engineering Journal1951-06"Long-Span Bridges," The Indian & Eastern Engineer1958-12The Mackinac Bridge: Conquering the Impossible," Journal of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers1956-01"Mackinac Bridge: Designed for Complete Aerodynamic Stability," Civil Engineering1956-05"Mackinac Bridge: Superstructure Design and Construction," Civil Engineering1959-01"Mackinac Straits Bridge," Proceedings, American Society of Civil Engineers, vol. 80, separate no. 5591954-12"Michigan and Ontario will be Linked Near Sault St. Marie," The Holland Evening Sentinel1959-06-27"Modes and Natural Frequencies of Suspension Bridge Oscillations," Transactions of the E. I. C., vol. 3, no. 21959-07"Ontario and Michigan Plan International Span"n.d."Problems of Aerodynamic and Hydrodynamic Stability," Proceedings of the Third Hydraulics Conference1947"Simple Model Tests Predict Aerodynamic Characteristics of Bridges, pt. 1: Response Curves Computed from Pressure Distribution Graphs," Civil Engineering1957-01-1957-02Songs of a Bridgebuilder (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans), 1959"La stabilita aerodinamica del ponte di Mackinac"1956"Suspension Bridges," American Scientist, vol. 42, no. 31954-07"Suspension Bridges: the Aerodynamic Problem and Its Solution"1953"Suspension Bridges: the Aerodynamic Problem and Its Solution"1954"Three Dimensions of Man"1960"Today: Era of Great Bridges," The American City1952-04"U. S.-Canada Span Expected by 1961," The New York Times1959-08-16"Untersuchung der aerodynamischen stabilitat der Mackinac-Brucke," Internationalen Zeitschrift fur Stahlverwendung, no. 41956-04"Verification de la stabilite aerodynamique du pont de Mackinac," Revue Internationale des Applications de l'Acier1956-04"Le Voyage Aerien a l'Expostion," Revue l'Ossature Metallique, no. 21934"Wind-Tunnel Tests Reveal Serious Inadequacy of Present Bridge Specifications," Civil Engineering, vol. 17, no. 101947-10"Wind Tunnel Tests Yield Aerodynamically Stable Bridge Sections," Civil Engineering1947-12"World's Longest Suspension Span is Proposed Messina Straits Bridge," Roads and Engineering Construction1954-07David B. Steinman plaque (Randolph Hall, Virginia Tech)1957-1976, n.d.317