David P. Billington, lecturer-engineer-
historian, has been a tenured professor of
civil engineering at Princeton University
for almost his entire professional career.
Professor Billington pioneered the concept
of “structural art” by showing that sim-
plicity, aesthetics, and economy are pre-
sent in all great structures. A prolific au-
thor, he has published more than 170
papers including ten books. Two of his fa-
mous books are The Tower and the
Bridge: The New Art of Structural Engi-
neering and Innovators: The Engineering
Pioneers Who Made America Modern. His
most recent book is The Art of Structural
Design: A Swiss Legacy. In 1999, Engi-
neering News-Record named Professor
Billington among the top five civil engi-
neering educators of the past 125 years.
(Author photo courtesy: Princeton Univer-
sity, Office of Communications.)