Please note the new meeting location:
First Reformed Church, North Church Street, Schenectady (in the Poling Chapel)
Directions: The church parking lot is on North Church Street, on your left as you head north from Union Street. Cross North Church Street and find the walkway between number 10 and 12 North Church. Go to the end of the walkway and enter the building. Turn left and go through the double doors. Turn right and walk past the rest rooms. The Poling Chapel is just down the hall.
“Edison’s Decision”
Presented by George Wise
In 1886 the Edison Machine Works of New York City moved to Schenectady. This was the beginning of the series of events that led, in the early 20th century, to Schenectady being home to one of the world’s greatest centers of industry, technology and science.
How and why did this happen? Why Edison, why Schenectady, and why 1886? This talk will discuss these questions and their bearing on a broader understanding of American history.
George Wise graduated from Lehigh University in 1966 in Engineering Physics, and got a Ph.D. in history from Boston University in 1976.
After working for a few years as a systems engineer, he became a technical writer, speechwriter and historian for GE. After retirement from GE he taught engineering at Union College.
He has published two books on history and is co-author of an engineering textbook, as well as several articles in the field of history, and two on-line non-commercial publications.