In 1896 Alford started as shop foreman at the McKay Metallic Fastening Assn. in Boston, which merged to McKay-Bigelow Heeling Assn. in 1897. After another two years as shop foreman, he found employ as production superintendent at the United Shoe Machinery Corporation in 1899 in Boston. The United Shoe Machinery Corporation, formed in 1899 out of the merger of three shoe machinery companies, developed revolutionary new shoemaking equipment, which revolutionized the shoe industry.[7] The company employed 9,000 workers and in its best days supplied 85% of all shoemaking machines in the United States.[8] In 1902 Alford got promoted to mechanical engineer, and invented and patented some new constructions for the United Shoe Machinery Corporation.
In 1907 Alford started working in engineering journalism for the Engineering Magazine company. From 1907 to 1911 he was engineering editor at the American Machinist, and from 1911 to 1917 editor-in-chief. Sequentially he was editor for the Industrial Management from 1917 to 1920, from 1921 to 1923 editor for Manufacturing Industrial Management, and from 1923 to 1928 consulting editor for the Factory and Industrial Management and vice-president of the Ronald Press Company in New York.[5][9] Alford co-developed the theory called systematic management, and was an advocate of this management style within the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
In 1929, Herbert Hoover appointed a president's commission to investigate the current state of the economy. Alford served on this panel and was the principal co-author of the committee's report, Recent Economic Changes (1929). From 1935 to 1937 he joined the Federal Communications Commission, where he was assistant engineer-in-charge of the manufacturing costs unit. In 1937 Alford jointed the faculty of New York University, where he became chairman of the department of administrative engineering.[5]
Alford was elected fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and was its former vice-president, and fellow of the Institute of Management and its former president. He was awarded the first Melville Medal in 1927[10] and in 1929 the Henry Laurence Gantt Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
WorkEdit
Systematic management and scientific managementEdit
Alford was a practitioner of systematic management and an advocate of this management style within the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. This systems of management principles, partly based on the ideas of Charles Babbage, was developed together with Alexander Hamilton Church, would paved the way to modern industrial management.[3] Their views clashed with the scientific management approach advocated by Frederick Winslow Taylor.[11] In 1912, Alford published a critique of scientific management that undermined Taylor's claims of success.
Alford argued that labor efficiency improvements at the Philadelphia plant of the Link-Belt Company were due to the personality of company's president, James Mapes Dodge. Dodge had won much respect and trust from the workers because of arrangements and incentives he offered so that they would accept Taylor's changes.[1]
Later in 1912, Alford sat on the ASME committee that considered whether or not to publish Taylor's book, The Principles of Scientific Management. Alford's criticisms of Taylor and his management techniques moderated the committee's position on the text. Because the committee's report was ambivalent about the merits of Scientific Management, the ASME declined to publish Taylor's book.[2]
Industrial managementEdit
Alford published his own management text, Industrial Management. He advocated a reformist approach to labor and to unionism. In 1920, he co-founded the Management Division within the ASME. Alford advocated flexibility in "industrial relations" and "human engineering" and rejected fixed and rigid approaches to labor management such as scientific management. His approach to labor soon became the dominant accepted practice of corporate liberal management. Because of this approach, the Management Division soon became the largest division within the ASME.
Selected publicationsEdit
Books, a selection:
Alford, Leon Pratt. Bearings and their lubrication (1911)
Alford, Leon Pratt. Manufacture of artillery ammunition, (1917)
Alford, Leon Pratt. Ten Years Progress in Management. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1922.
Alford, Leon Pratt, ed. Management's handbook: by a staff specialists. The Ronald press company, 1924.
Alford, Leon Pratt. Laws of management applied to manufacturing. Hive Publishing Company, 1928; 1981.
Alford, Leon Pratt. Henry Laurence Gantt: Leader in Industry. Harper & brothers, 1934
Alford, Leon Pratt. Principles of industrial management. Ronald Press Company, 1940; 1951.
Alford, Leon Pratt, and John Robert Bangs, eds. Production handbook. Ronald Press Co., 1948.
Articles, a selection:
Alford, Leon P. "Scientific Management in Use." American Machinist 36 (April 4, 1912): 550.
Alford, L. P., and A. H. Church. "Principles of Management." American Machinist 36 (May 30, 1912): 857–862.
PatentsEdit
1909, Patent US936690, Fixture-support for concrete-steel constructions.
ReferencesEdit
^^ Alford, Leon P. (April 4, 1912). "Scientific Management in Use". American Machinist. 36: 550.
^^ Nelson, Daniel (1980). Frederick W. Taylor and the Rise of Scientific Management. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press., 181-182.
^ abWilliam Jaffe (1957). L.P. Alford and the Evolution of Modern Industrial Management. New York University Press.
^People of the Century 2013-10-16 at the Wayback Machine in WPI Journal, Spring 1998.
^ abc"Prof. Alford of N.Y.U. dies, administrative engineer expert was 65." in: The Sun New York City, 2 January 1942.
^The Tech News Volume 25, Issue 6, November 8, 1933
^Background & History at cummings.com. Accessed 11, 2014.
^United Shoe Machinery Corporation Records, 1898-1987. Accessed November 2014.
^Robert Cecil Cook. Who's who in American Education: A Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Living Educators of the United States, Volume 9. Who's Who in American Education, 1940. p. 17
^ASME Honors Manual 2016-04-19 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed 14 October 2013.
Jaffe, William J. L. P. Alford and the Evolution of Modern Industrial Management. New York: 1957
Nelson, Daniel. Frederick W. Taylor and the Rise of Scientific Management. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1980.
Noble, David F.America by Design: Science, Technology, and the Rise of Corporate Capitalism. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1977.
External linksEdit
WPI Journal: People of the Century, 1998
August 28, 2023
leon, alford, leon, pratt, alford, 1877, 1942, american, mechanical, engineer, organizational, theorist, administrator, american, society, mechanical, engineers, known, seminal, work, field, industrial, management, contents, biography, work, systematic, manage. Leon Pratt Alford Jan 3 1877 Feb 2 1942 was an American mechanical engineer organizational theorist and administrator for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers 1 2 known for his seminal work in the field of industrial management 3 Leon P Alford Contents 1 Biography 2 Work 2 1 Systematic management and scientific management 2 2 Industrial management 3 Selected publications 4 Patents 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksBiography EditBorn in Simsbury Connecticut Alford graduated from the High School of Plainville Connecticut and in 1896 from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute 4 After ten years in the industry in various functions 5 he received his ME from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1905 6 In 1896 Alford started as shop foreman at the McKay Metallic Fastening Assn in Boston which merged to McKay Bigelow Heeling Assn in 1897 After another two years as shop foreman he found employ as production superintendent at the United Shoe Machinery Corporation in 1899 in Boston The United Shoe Machinery Corporation formed in 1899 out of the merger of three shoe machinery companies developed revolutionary new shoemaking equipment which revolutionized the shoe industry 7 The company employed 9 000 workers and in its best days supplied 85 of all shoemaking machines in the United States 8 In 1902 Alford got promoted to mechanical engineer and invented and patented some new constructions for the United Shoe Machinery Corporation In 1907 Alford started working in engineering journalism for the Engineering Magazine company From 1907 to 1911 he was engineering editor at the American Machinist and from 1911 to 1917 editor in chief Sequentially he was editor for the Industrial Management from 1917 to 1920 from 1921 to 1923 editor for Manufacturing Industrial Management and from 1923 to 1928 consulting editor for the Factory and Industrial Management and vice president of the Ronald Press Company in New York 5 9 Alford co developed the theory called systematic management and was an advocate of this management style within the American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME In 1929 Herbert Hoover appointed a president s commission to investigate the current state of the economy Alford served on this panel and was the principal co author of the committee s report Recent Economic Changes 1929 From 1935 to 1937 he joined the Federal Communications Commission where he was assistant engineer in charge of the manufacturing costs unit In 1937 Alford jointed the faculty of New York University where he became chairman of the department of administrative engineering 5 Alford was elected fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and was its former vice president and fellow of the Institute of Management and its former president He was awarded the first Melville Medal in 1927 10 and in 1929 the Henry Laurence Gantt Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Work EditSystematic management and scientific management Edit Alford was a practitioner of systematic management and an advocate of this management style within the American Society of Mechanical Engineers This systems of management principles partly based on the ideas of Charles Babbage was developed together with Alexander Hamilton Church would paved the way to modern industrial management 3 Their views clashed with the scientific management approach advocated by Frederick Winslow Taylor 11 In 1912 Alford published a critique of scientific management that undermined Taylor s claims of success Alford argued that labor efficiency improvements at the Philadelphia plant of the Link Belt Company were due to the personality of company s president James Mapes Dodge Dodge had won much respect and trust from the workers because of arrangements and incentives he offered so that they would accept Taylor s changes 1 Later in 1912 Alford sat on the ASME committee that considered whether or not to publish Taylor s book The Principles of Scientific Management Alford s criticisms of Taylor and his management techniques moderated the committee s position on the text Because the committee s report was ambivalent about the merits of Scientific Management the ASME declined to publish Taylor s book 2 Industrial management Edit Alford published his own management text Industrial Management He advocated a reformist approach to labor and to unionism In 1920 he co founded the Management Division within the ASME Alford advocated flexibility in industrial relations and human engineering and rejected fixed and rigid approaches to labor management such as scientific management His approach to labor soon became the dominant accepted practice of corporate liberal management Because of this approach the Management Division soon became the largest division within the ASME Selected publications EditBooks a selection Alford Leon Pratt Bearings and their lubrication 1911 Alford Leon Pratt Manufacture of artillery ammunition 1917 Alford Leon Pratt Ten Years Progress in Management American Society of Mechanical Engineers 1922 Alford Leon Pratt ed Management s handbook by a staff specialists The Ronald press company 1924 Alford Leon Pratt Laws of management applied to manufacturing Hive Publishing Company 1928 1981 Alford Leon Pratt Henry Laurence Gantt Leader in Industry Harper amp brothers 1934 Alford Leon Pratt Principles of industrial management Ronald Press Company 1940 1951 Alford Leon Pratt and John Robert Bangs eds Production handbook Ronald Press Co 1948 Articles a selection Alford Leon P Scientific Management in Use American Machinist 36 April 4 1912 550 Alford L P and A H Church Principles of Management American Machinist 36 May 30 1912 857 862 Patents Edit1909 Patent US936690 Fixture support for concrete steel constructions References Edit Alford Leon P April 4 1912 Scientific Management in Use American Machinist 36 550 Nelson Daniel 1980 Frederick W Taylor and the Rise of Scientific Management Madison University of Wisconsin Press 181 182 a b William Jaffe 1957 L P Alford and the Evolution of Modern Industrial Management New York University Press People of the Century Archived 2013 10 16 at the Wayback Machine in WPI Journal Spring 1998 a b c Prof Alford of N Y U dies administrative engineer expert was 65 in The Sun New York City 2 January 1942 The Tech News Volume 25 Issue 6 November 8 1933 Background amp History at cummings com Accessed 11 2014 United Shoe Machinery Corporation Records 1898 1987 Accessed November 2014 Robert Cecil Cook Who s who in American Education A Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Living Educators of the United States Volume 9 Who s Who in American Education 1940 p 17 ASME Honors Manual Archived 2016 04 19 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 14 October 2013 Richard Vangermeersch 1996 Church Alexander Hamilton 1866 1936 In History of Accounting An International Encyclopedia edited by Michael Chatfield and Richard Vangermeersch New York Garland Publishing 1996 p 124 Further reading EditJaffe William J L P Alford and the Evolution of Modern Industrial Management New York 1957 Nelson Daniel Frederick W Taylor and the Rise of Scientific Management Madison University of Wisconsin Press 1980 Noble David F America by Design Science Technology and the Rise of Corporate Capitalism New York Alfred A Knopf 1977 External links EditLeon P Alford WPI Journal People of the Century 1998 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Leon P Alford amp oldid 1170381817, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
