Gano Dunn

Gano Sillick Dunn (October 18, 1870 – April 10, 1953 ) was an American electrical engineer who served as the president of Cooper Union. He was an early chairman and CEO of the United States National Research Council.

Early life and career Son of Civil War veteran General N. Gano Dunn and Amelia Sillick, Gano Dunn was born in Yorkville, New York. With a prospering law practice, General Dunn raised Gano and his younger brother Harris, across from Central Park, as befitted one of the "best-known lawyers in the city". Inspired by his paternal grandfather, schoolteacher and inventor Nathaniel Dunn, young Gano was encouraged in both scholarship and practical invention.

In 1883, when Gano was twelve, he accompanied the former Mrs. Maria G. Robins Caswell to Europe. They were there met by General Dunn. With the General and Maria masquerading as man and wife, Gano traveled Europe for a year and half. By 1886, General Dunn's whereabouts were unknown to his wife Amelia and New York society.

At the age of fifteen, while attending City College of New York, Gano began to work for as an operator for the Western Union Telegraph Company. During this period, in March 1887, Mrs. Maria Robins filed a lawsuit against Gano's mother, Mrs. Amelia S. Dunn, over a deed to a New York City property. In 1884, under pressure from her "runaway husband", Mrs. Dunn had been forced to transfer the property, then valued at $18,000, to General Dunn's office clerk, Henry G. Hunt for a single dollar. Hunt then transferred the deed to Mrs. Robins. Attempting to maintain her interests, Mrs. Dunn gave a second deed to her sister-in-law, who then transferred this second deed to Mrs. Dunn's sister. With affidavits filed by her estranged husband from Canada, and testimony from Mrs. Robins, the case stretched until November 1887. Mrs. Amelia Dunn finally won the lawsuit and the Hunt/Robins deed to the property was invalidated.

As a young college student, Dunn visited the laboratory of Thomas A. Edison. Dunn declined Edison's job offer and continued pursuing his college degree. Dunn and Columbia Professor Edwin Howard Armstrong both served as pallbearers at Tesla's funeral.

Dunn was president of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers from 1911 to 1912. Gano Dunn served as treasurer and later Chairman of Trustees of the Simplified Spelling Board. He was the president of the Cooper Union from 1935 to 1951.

Refugee ship Principe di Undine Gano Dunn served as the president of J. G. White Engineering since 1913 and was in Italy at the outbreak of World War I. Americans stranded in Europe had fled from Austria, France, Spain, Switzerland and Serbia to Italy, trying to book passage back to the United States. With banks refusing to cash personal checks, Americans were short on funds. In Italy, a bank moratorium had been declared, with banks paying only "limited and small amounts daily".

Dr. Butler, before sailing, had obtained permission from Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty to pass Gibraltar. Challenged there by an English torpedo boat destroyer, the Principe di Undine was allowed to proceed into the Atlantic. 700 miles from New York, the ship was commanded to stop by an English warship. After verifying her cargo and passengers, the ship was allowed to proceed.

During the voyage, a series of lectures on various topics were organized, with Mr Gano Dunn speaking on wireless telegraphy. Gano Dunn and the rest of the committee met with an assistant to the Secretary of State on Tuesday, August 25 and officially expressed to him their satisfaction with the steps the Government had taken at that time. Julia Thurston Gardiner Gayley married Gano Dunn.

Inventions Gano Dunn invented and patented many electronic and mechanical devices. A Drum Sequencer Controller

Honors and awards Dunn was an elected member of the United States National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society.

Legacy In 1955, James A. Healy and Harris A. Dunn, in memory of Harris' late brother Gano, presented Colby College Library with a rare copy of the 1491 Nuremberg Chronicle.