Most people know the name Westinghouse as the name of an appliance, but where did the name come from? Many people may not know that George Westinghouse was not only an inventor, but a visionary. George Westinghouse's many inventions fed the Industrial Revolution that swept through America in the latter part of the nineteenth century. The Industrial Revolution brought many changes to the United States. Even though America was progressing, many ill effects were brought on by this expansion. Westinghouse was one of the Industrialist that actually cared about the many problems he saw in urban America. Westinghouse, at the age of forty-two, could no longer ignore "the evils of social upheaval created by too rapid industrial development"(Levine, 2). George Westinghouse wanted something done, but it looked as if he was the only one that would do it. George Westinghouse had influenced many areas of his era and ours. His many inventions, his good-willed policy toward his work!

ers and his business practices have affected all of us; but nothing will compare to the influences that he left on our country's upper-class - the concept

Westinghouse began reading up on the problem. He read of experiments in Denmark and Sweden where model communities where being made by business and government officials. Westinghouse knew what he would have to do, but it was a very risky move; nevertheless, George had learned not to be frightened off by bold ideas. George Westinghouse contacted a leading architectural firm and told them "I want you to design a factory and surround it with a town,"(Levine, 2). He visioned a town of state-of-the-art factories, a research laboratory, good schools, community centers, a hospital and inexpensive houses for the employees. Running water and electricity would be standard. In 1890, the Westinghouse Air Brake Company was completely moved to the new site, called Wilmerding, Pennsylvania. The workshops had the "most modern lighting, heating, ventilation and safety facilities,"(Levine, 2). Each house in the town had a complete indoor bathroom, electric lighting, and natural gas out!

Shumaker, Richard. George Westinghouse - Inventive Mind. (Online) http://www.lm.com/~rs7717/george.html

ed into the formation of a Grievance Committee made up of three shop men and three management personnel. The Grievance Committee would form to resolve such issues as the following: working conditions, working methods, and limits of the workers. Westinghouse's Grievance Committee set the path for labor reform in America. Westinghouse revolutionized the way the American employee worked; hence, Westinghouse was received as the best boss in Pittsburgh. Consequently, he won the resentment of the other employers in Pittsburgh and eventually the country.

http://www.westinghouse.com/corp/hist/

lets for cooking and heating. The houses had a lawn with grass, shrubbery, and trees. The houses were rented to the workers with an option to buy. For the children, there were the following: schools that were brightly decorated to attract them to stay, a community center with gymnasiums, a library and meeting rooms. Westinghouse had really out done himself this time thought the whole country; nevertheless, George Westinghouse felt that he had accomplished his greatest achievement, and indeed he had.

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George Westinghouse was born eight of ten children into a middle class family on October 6, 1846. Westinghouse's father ran a small machine shop in Schendectady, NY, that manufactured mostly farm implements; as a result, Westinghouse was introduced to the world of machines at a very early age. Due to curiosities he found during the Civil War, in which he served in both the Northern Army and the Navy, Westinghouse invented a rotary steam engine. At age nineteen, this was his first patented invention; however, the design proved to be impractical. Despite his troubles, Westinghouse went on to invent a device for placing derailed railroad cars back on their tracks.

http://www.lcweb2loc.gov/paper/west/westhome.html

Westinghouse, George. Compton's Living Encyclopedia. (Online)

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Approximate Word count = 2250
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)