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OCR for page 189
JAMES N. LANDIS
1 899-1 989
BY JOHN R. KIELY
]IM LANDIS, a founding member of the National Academy
of Engineering and a noted power engineer, died of cancer
on April 29, 1989, at age eighty-nine.
Landis's active engineering years spanned the period from
the time of small, low-pressure fossil steam units to the
time of very large, high-pressure fossil units and large nuclear
units. He was an outstanding mechanical engineer, and he
played a major role in technical developments of steam
power in this period.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, on August IS, IS99, Landis
was an only child. His family lived in Danville, Indiana,
during his high school years. Here he was a classmate of
his future wife, Lucile Nichols. In 1922 Landis received his
B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan,
where he was elected to the engineering honor societies
Tau Beta Pi and Sigma Xi. Upon graduation he and Lucile,
also a 1922 graduate of the university, were married.
Shortly after graduation, he went to work for Brooklyn
Edison Company as a mechanical engineer researching the
design and the equipment for the new Hudson Avenue
Generating Station and other plants. From 1929 to 1932,
he administered the civil, structural, and mechanical engi-
neering and the layout for all Brooklyn Edison generatin
stations. During this period, the Hudson Avenue Station
189
OCR for page 190
190
MEMORIAL TRIBUTES
became the world's largest generating plant with 770,000
kilowatts of capacity. Two of its units, rated at 160,000
kilowatts each, were the largest single-shaft turbine units
ever built. In 1932 Landis became the mechanical engineer
of Brooklyn Edison in complete charge of the civil, structural,
and mechanical design.
When Brooklyn Edison and Metropolitan Electric Utili-
ties combined into Consolidated Edison, Landis pearled a
new contract and inspection department. He then became
responsible for the civil, structural, and mechanical engi-
neering layout and electrical ctrafting for all Consolidated
Edison power system installations.
This period covered a transition of some installations
from direct current and some from twenty-five cycle alternating
current to sixty-cycle alternating current that was standard
for all modern generating stations in the United States.
Also during this period, modest-sized, high-pressure steam
boilers became available. The addition of topping units to
existing low-pressure stations increased the station capacity
and significantly increased the overall efficiency of the plants.
Eventually, single large high-pressure boilers and turbines
were developed. During these years, Landis had developed
an outstanding reputation in the power industry.
World War IT placed adclitional demands on all war-related
industry. For This this meant ensuring Consolidated Edison's
engineering responsibility for the wartime power needs of
Metropolitan New York while also working with the War
Production Board in Washington on power requirements
of the United States and its allies.
After the war, the power generator field became a major
area for engineering and construction. The Bechtel Corporation
was adding to its power design group in order to meet the
coming surge in demand for electricity. Stephen Bechtel,
acting on the recommendation of several top utility executives,
offered Landis the position of chief power engineer to have
charge of steam plant design for Bechtel. Landis accepted,
and in 1948 he joined Bechtel in San Francisco. Here he
OCR for page 191
JAMES N. LANDIS
19
organized the steam plant design group to handle the ex-
panding load of steam units for such companies as Pacific
Gas & Electric, Utah Power & Light, Southern California
Edison, and many others.
By 1951 the use of the peaceful atom for steam power
had become a subject of great interest. Under President
Eisenhower's direction, it was decided to make available to
industry the nuclear knowledge involved in the weapon reactors.
A group of utilities and Bechte} formed the Nuclear Power
Group and offered to finance its own costs to study the
nuclear weapon reactors and make a preliminary power
plant design. Jim Landis was one of the key people from
Bechtel to participate in this study.
By 1953 Landis had become a vice-president of Bechtel.
The Nuclear Power Group Inc. was ready to spend the money
to develop the design of a 200,000-kilowatt plant for Com-
monwealth Edison at Dresden, Illinois, with a General Electric
nuclear energy supply.
In 1955 General Electric offered Commonwealth Edison
a fixed price for the Dresden plant based on Bechtel's offer
to fix the price of the non-nuclear portion of the plant.
Commonwealth Edison accepted, and Landis was launched
into the real world of nuclear power.
Nuclear power and fossil power design and construction
were moving rapidly, and Landis was deeply involved until
his retirement from active management in September 1964.
He continued to consult actively as an executive consultant
and as a vice-president of Bechtel Nuclear Corporation until
September 1974.
Throughout his life, Landis strongly supported activities
of engineering societies. In particular, he participated in
section, technical, and administrative aspects of the American
Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). He was chairman
of the Metropolitan Section of New York, 1933-1935, and
of the San Francisco Section, 1955-1956. He became a
fellow of ASME in 1954, was elected president of ASME in
1957, and made an honorary member in 1964. His wife,
in. . . . . .. ~ . ,.
OCR for page 192
192
MEMORIAL TRIBUTES
Lucile, was active in the ASME Women's Auxiliary, serving
a term as its president in 1947.
As a director and president in 1961 of the Engineers
Joint Council, a federation of engineering societies, Landis
was able to express his interest in strengthening and unifying
the voice of engineers. The culmination of Landis' desire
to give the engineering profession national stature and visibility
was the establishment of the National Academy of Engineering.
He was a member of the Committee of Twenty-Five for
founding the Academy and a founding member.
Landis was chairman of the United States Committee
when the World Power Conference met in Melbourne,
Australia. He served actively as a member of that commit-
tee for several years.
Landis was a charter member anct a fellow of the Ameri-
can Nuclear Society, a "member of the Prime Movers Committee
of the Edison Electric Institute, and while with Consolidated
Edison a member of the Power Generation Committee of
the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies.
Landis had a very active interest in technical developments
of the power industry. He published numerous papers that
were presented at various universities, ASME meetings, and
association meetings worldwide. In recognition of his many
contributions to the engineering community, Landis was
awarded the Franklin Institute's Newcomen Medal in 1978.
In 1977 he was the first recipient of the ASME's James N.
Landis Medal, given for "outstanding personal performance
in nuclear and fossil power stations, coupled with humani-
tarian pursuits in his profession
,,
In addition to Lucile, Jim is survived by his son, James
Philip married to Else Molvig; and two daughters, Priscilla
Jean married to Lloyd Jackson Moulton, and Janet IJucile,
widow of Nobel Laureate Luis Walter Alvarez.
Jim and Lucile led quite an active life in retirement at
Rossmoor, Wainut Creek in the San Francisco Bay Area.
They especially enjoyed square and ballroom dancing, and
OCR for page 193
JAMES N. LANDIS
193
they travelled extensively in the United States. They main-
tained a strong interest in cultural activities and went on
many Elderhostel trips to such places as Olympic National
Park for five days of study and recreation. Such an active
life probably contributed to Jim's longevity and 1,ucile's
continuing active life.
OCR for page 194
Representative terms from entire chapter:
mechanical engineer
