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Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771

ENGINEERING COLLOQUIUM

Speaker David Guth

March 14, 2016 / 3:30 PM, Building 3 Auditorium

David Guth

“Building the ‘Spider Web:’ The Story of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge”

ABSTRACT -- By definition, bridges connect people separated by obstacles that tend to keep them apart. However, it was more than the Chesapeake Bay that divided the people of Maryland for three centuries. They evolved into two very different peoples, artificially unified by Maryland's borders. For nearly 100 years, Marylanders debated the value of building bridges across Chesapeake Bay. Construction of such a bridge would require creative designs, great technical skill and a significant financial investment. However, more than an engineering problem, a bay bridge posed political, cultural and environmental challenges. To many Eastern Shore residents, a bridge was seen as a threat to their lifestyle. However, Baltimore business interests saw the economic potential of the Eastern Shore's considerable agricultural resources being diverted toward Philadelphia. In many respects, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge saga mirrors the story of America. It is a story of visionary leaders willing to sacrifice their self-interests and of narrow-minded minions willing to put their needs above all others. It is a story of humanity's ability to overcome a great physical barrier, and then being forced to deal with its unintended consequences. Ultimately, it is a story of who we are and how we came to be where we are today.

SPEAKER -- David Guth is an associate professor at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of Kansas. Guth received a B.A. in Radio-Television-Speech from the University of Maryland (1973) and an MA in Journalism from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (1990). Prior to joining the faculty in August 1991, he served in several public information positions within the administration of North Carolina Governor Jim Martin. He was also a broadcast journalist in Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia, New York and North Carolina and is a recipient of numerous reporting honors, including the prestigious Peabody Award. He is the author or co-author of five books, including Bridging the Chesapeake: A ‘Fool Idea’ That Unified Maryland.


Engineering Colloquium home page: https://ecolloq.gsfc.nasa.gov