Clark, Wallace, 1880-1948

Henry Laurence Gantt was born in Calvert County, Maryland, on May 20, 1861. He received his B.A. from John Hopkins University in 1880 and M.E. from the Stevens Institute of Technology in 1884. Gantt was a practicing mechanical engineer and management consultant.

Gantt is best known for creating a self-named scheduling and monitoring diagram that provides a work breakdown structure of the phases and activities of a project. Gantt charts have commonly been employed in major infrastructure projects, including the construction of the Hoover Dam and the interstate highway system. Gantt also developed the "Task and Bonus System," which correlates the bonus paid to managers to their employees' performance.

Gantt died on November 23, 1919. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers annually awards a medal in honor of Gantt for distinguished achievement in management and community service.

From the guide to the Wallace Clark Collection on Henry Laurence Gantt, 1901-1937, (New York University Archives)