Call Number:

00.006

Repository:

Drexel University: Archives and Special Collections

Extent:

0.17 cubic feet

Language:

English

Date:

1927-1931 (inclusive)

Creator:

Hicks, Joseph Nelson

Abstract:

This collection consists of Mr. Hicks's diploma from Drexel, dated 1927; a black-and-white photograph of the Golden Gate Bridge, dated Christmas 1937, which accompanied the diploma; and a photo album containing black-and-white photos of the construction of St. Johns Bridge.

Joseph Nelson Hicks graduated from the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry in 1927 with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. A native of Trenton, New Jersey, Mr. Hicks is believed to have gone to work for the John A. Roebling's Sons Company after he graduated. The Roebling Company was involved in the development and manufacturing of wire rope and shortly thereafter began building suspension bridges (including the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883). It is believed that Mr. Hicks worked on the construction of the St. Johns Bridge, which spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, in 1930 and 1931. Little is known of Mr. Hicks's life. It appears that he lived in Wilkes Barre at the time of his death in 1990.

This collection consists of Mr. Hicks's diploma from Drexel, dated 1927; a black-and-white photograph of the Golden Gate Bridge, dated Christmas 1937, which accompanied the diploma; and a photo album containing black-and-white photos of the construction of St. Johns Bridge. The photos are dated 1930 and 1931 and portray the workers who built the bridge, general shots of the bridge, and construction details. The collection is arranged into two series: 1. Photographs, 1930-1931 (arranged chronologically within a scrapbook) and 1937; 2. Diploma, 1927.