Max Joseph Becker

Max Joseph Becker (June 20, 1828 – August 23, 1896) was a Prussian-born American civil engineer who served as a railroad and civil engineer. He was president of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1889, and the president of the Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania in 1893.

Biography Max Joseph Becker was born at Coblenz, Kingdom of Prussia June 20, 1828, and was educated in the schools of Coblenz, and at the University of Bonn.

After leaving the University he passed the requisite examinations for admission to service on the Government Railroad surveys and in 1848 began his professional career on the Cologne and Minden Railroad in the capacity of engineer's apprentice (rodman), with headquarters at Hamm in Westphalia.

Becker's professional and personal standing among engineers was of the highest; he was an honored and beloved member of the Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania; he was a member of its Board of Direction for many years, and was President for 1893.

Becker was elected a Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) on August 7, 1872, and was made its president in 1889. At the time of his election, his personal acquaintance in the society was not very large, and some questions were asked; before his term had expired he had won all hearts, as he always did wherever he came into touch with people. James Francis presented the results of the investigation at the ASCE convention in Chattanooga, TN. The other three committee members did not attend this long-awaited report. Although Francis' name headed the report, the de facto chairman of the committee was Becker, who had virtually no experience in dams or hydraulic engineering. According to James Francis, it was Becker who delayed the release of the report. The new ASCE president in 1890, William Shinn, had placed it in the hands of Becker to decide when to release it. Shinn was a close business associate of Andrew Carnegie, who had been a member of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. That club had owned the failed South Fork dam. A detailed discussion of the South Fork investigation, the participating engineers, and the science behind the 1889 flood was published in 2018.