Cooley, Lyman Edgar, 1850-1917

Chicago, Illinois engineer, editor of T̲h̲e̲ ̲A̲m̲e̲r̲i̲c̲a̲n̲ ̲E̲n̲g̲i̲n̲e̲e̲r̲, member of the International Deep Waterways Commission.

From the description of Lyman Edgar Cooley papers, 1865-1917. (University of Michigan). WorldCat record id: 34418322

Lyman Edgar Cooley was one of Chicago's best-known consulting hydraulic engineers. After graduating from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, he taught engineering subjects at Northwestern University (1874-1877). He next worked as assistant engineer on the construction of a bridge over the Missouri River. From 1879 to 1884, he served as assistant engineer on the Mississippi and Missouri river improvements. In September 1884, he began a year's work as editor of The American Engineer. After this period he devoted himself to the engineering features of waterway problems. He achieved prominence in promoting the undertaking of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal becoming first chief engineer of the project. He was later elected one of the trustees of the Chicago District. According to one source, Cooley gave form to the solution of the problems pertaining to the Chicago Sanitary Canal, its relations to lakes and rivers, and its sanitary and constructive features.

In 1895, President Cleveland appointed Cooley to be a member of the International Commission to make investigations for a ship canal between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. He was knowledgeable about deep-water navigation of the Great Lakes and became consulting engineer for the Lakes-to-the-Gulf Deep Waterway Association. He was also interested in the Isthmian Canal problem, visiting Panama and Nicaragua as consulting engineer with the contractors' and engineers' expedition. He died February 3, 1917.

From the guide to the Lyman E. Cooley papers, 1865-1917, (Bentley Historical Library University of Michigan)