San Francisco County
Biographies
COLONEL
CHARLES BENJAMIN WING
One of the most eminent authorities upon civil engineering in the United States, and one who has attained the heights in the teaching and the practice of his profession, is Colonel Charles Benjamin Wing, professor emeritus of civil engineering at Stanford University, recipient of the Carnegie pension, author of rank, and now holding the position of chief of the division of parks, California state department of natural resources, with offices at 651 Mills building in San Francisco.
Colonel Wing was born in Willow Brook, New York, in January, 1864, and is a son of the late Phineas Rice and Mary (Sands) Wing. The Wing family is one of the oldest in America, dating back to 1630 A. D., and the first of the name on these shores were four brothers, sons of the Rev. John Wing, Oxford graduate in 1600. The latter married the daughter of a dissenting minister and as a result was forced to leave England with his bride for Holland. After due course of time, the British government lifted the ban which they had exercised over the religious liberties of the royal subjects, and Rev. Wing returned to England for the purpose of sailing to America. He died, however, about the time his boat was ready to leave port. His four sons then took passage, and settled in Plymouth colony. Colonel Wing, of this review, is a direct descendant of Stephen Wing, one of these four brothers, from whom all the Wings in the United States are likewise descended. Colonel Wing’s paternal grandfather, Hiram Wing, was a clergyman in the Methodist Church, and died in Danbury, Connecticut. Phineas Rice Wing, his son and father of Colonel Wing, was born in New York state in 1834, and in New York city was apprenticed to the jewelry trade. Later he engaged in business in that city but ill health forced his retirement therefrom, and he settled in Dutchess County, where he resided until his death in 1924, after he had passed his ninetieth year of age. His wife, Mrs. Mary (Sands) Wing, the mother of Colonel Wing, was descended from an old family of Westchester county, New York, and was of English extraction. Her father was likewise in business in New York city, and moved to Dutchess county in 1830, at the time of the opening of the Erie canal. His ancestors originally settled on Block Island in 1670, and moved from there to Westchester county. The Wings and the Sands were for a number of generations intermarried to a great extent. Mrs. Wing, who died in 1865, was the mother of three children, as follows: Henry Hiram, who was formerly on the teaching staff of Cornell University as professor of animal husbandry but is now living retired in Ithaca, New York; William Thomas, who lives in the old Dutchess county homestead in New York; and the immediate subject of this biography.
Colonel Charles B. Wing attended the district and private schools, also spending one year at the Poughkeepsie Military Institute. He then took up the study of civil engineering at Cornell University, and received his degree in that subject in 1886. His high scholastic record at the university brought him the award of a fellowship in civil engineering, which entitled him to another year’s study and work in his chosen subject. It is interesting to note at this point the reason why Colonel Wing selected civil engineering as his life’s work. About the time the question of an occupation became paramount among his thoughts, a railroad line was built through his home town. He became intensely interested in the construction of the line and the engineering work done thereon, with the result that he determined to make civil engineering his objective, and he has proved in countless ways the fine judgment and good fortune of this decision. Before he had finished his fellowship year at Cornell, one of the teachers died, and he was requested to assume the vacated position. Until 1890, he was accordingly an instructor in civil engineering at Cornell, and in 1890-91 was assistant professor. His summers during his collegiate career at this time were devoted to study and to practical work. He constructed bridges and acted as consulting engineer in all kinds of building projects. In 1891, he was chosen as professor of bridge and hydraulic engineering at the University of Wisconsin, and in this position he remained one year. He then came to California, to accept the professorship in structural engineering at Stanford University in Palo Alto. He became executive head of the department of civil engineering at Stanford in 1923, and retained this honored place until 1929, when he retired, having been awarded the Carnegie pension for his long and conspicuous participation in teaching. His ability to impart his knowledge of engineering to his students was closely akin to genius; he had a predominating influence, and he holds the admiration and respect of all those who have felt the touch of his intellect. To Stanford he brought prestige during the active years of his work there, and his teachings and advice have been carried gratefully into all parts of the world by thousands of scholars.
Colonel Wing has gained a wide reputation as an author upon civil engineering topics, and his various publications are considered among the leading texts available for students. In 1893, there was published his Freehand Lettering for Working Drawings; in 1896 there appeared his Manual of Bridge Drafting (with C. H. Wright); and he has published various papers in the Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers; the American Society for Testing Materials; and the Pacific Association for Consulting Engineers.
During the World war period, Colonel Wing served with distinction in the United States Army. He was a major and a lieutenant-colonel in the Twenty-third Engineers, and served from June, 1917, to June 1919. He was with the First Army in the Meuse-Argonne, and was in France from March, 1918, to June 1919, on construction work. He was honorably discharged in June, 1919, and now holds a commission in the officers reserve corps. He also had four sons in the United States Army during the war.
In the Colonel’s own words, his present position as chief of the division of parks, California state department of natural resources, came about through a hobby. He was always vitally interested in preserving the redwoods in the Big Basin, and in this connection he succeeded in getting a part of that beautiful woods preserved for the coming generations. This finally developed into a state park plan, of which he was vice chairman and executive officer, officially of the California State Redwood Park Commission, from 1911 to 1926. He became the incumbent of his present position in 1928, and has offices, as noted previously, at 651 Mills building in San Francisco.
Colonel Wing was executive officer of the commission of engineers in the rebuilding of Stanford University structures which had been destroyed at the time of the San Francisco fire and earthquake in 1906. In the line of his profession, Colonel Wing is also known for his important work in building bridges, wireless towers and special structures. Among these were two 1,000-foot towers for the Shanghai, China, station of the Federal Telegraph Company.
From 1908 to 1928, Colonel Wing was a member of the city council of Palo Alto, California, and he also served as mayor of the city. From 1892 until 1922, he was a director and president of the Mutual Building & Loan Association, which is now known as the California Mutual Association of San Jose.
Colonel Wing has been twice married. He was first united in wedlock to Anna M. Paddock on September 19, 1888, in Auburn, New York. She was born in that city a daughter of the late Lewis and Florina (White) Paddock, members of an old New England family dating back to the Mayflower. Her death occurred in February, 1905. They became the parents of four children, namely: Sumner Paddock, who married Esther Edwards and is the father of Marion and Judith; Winchester Paddock, who married Gould Jonisson and has a son, Charles Paddock; Charles Paddock; and Robert Lewis, who married Dorothy Stedman and has a son, David.
Colonel Wing was married secondly February 20, 1908, in Menlo Park, to Mrs. Marian (Colt) Browne, who was born near Joliet, Illinois, a daughter of Ashley and Louise (Warner) Colt. By her former marriage, Mrs. Wing has two children, as follows: Ashley Colt Browne, who married Eleanor Marx, and has a daughter, Sylvia Marx; and Frances, who married R. N. Wenzel, and is the mother of two children, Leonard and Eleanor Frances. The Wing residence is situated at 345 Lincoln avenue in Palo Alto, California.
During his collegiate days, Colonel Wing was a member of the Sigma Xi honor society, and he is now a member of the Commonwealth and the Engineers’ Clubs of San Francisco. He has held a sincere and a loyal interest in the affairs of his home state and city. His career is typical of the successful American citizen, guided by high ambition and inspired energy, and actuated by the best ideals and impulses.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Source: Byington, Lewis Francis, “History of
San Francisco 3 Vols”, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.,
Chicago, 1931. Vol. 2 Pages 341-345.
© 2007 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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