Frank Bunker Gilbreth Sr. (1868-1924)

Mechanical Engineer, he is considered by many to be the Father of Management Engineering. He started his professional life as a bricklayer and went on to develop the concept of Time and Motion Study. In 1904, he married Lillian Evelyn Moller and fathered twelve children. His life was memoralized by his son, Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr, and his daughter, Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, who coauthored the book, "Cheaper by the Dozen." A motion picture of the same name and based on the book was released in 1950 starring Clifton Webb as Frank. Gilbreth was the author of numerous articles, papers, and books on Time and Motion Study, was a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a frequent lecturer at Purdue University. When he died as a result of heart failure, his brain was donated to Harvard University. He and his wife both have a permanent exhibit in the Smithsonian Museum of American History. He was posthumously honored with the Gantt Gold Medal in 1944 from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Management Association.

Bio by: Barbara Verry, CV, SAR