Joseph Strauss, the engineer of the golden Gate Bridge, mandated that a net be installed under the bridge for safety while being built. This was revolutionary at the time. The net caught 19 men who fell, saving all of them from a certain death.

Joseph Strauss (engineer)

For other people with the same name, see Joseph Strauss (disambiguation).

Joseph Baermann Strauss (January 9, 1870 – May 16, 1938) was an American structural engineer who revolutionized the design of bascule bridges. He was the chief engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge, a suspension bridge.

Life, beginnings and death

He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to an artistic family of German-Jewish ancestry, having a mother who was a pianist and a father, Raphael Strauss, who was a writer and painter. His pianist mother had an unfortunate accident which ultimately ended her concert career.[citation needed] He graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1892. He served as both class poet and president, and is a brother of the Sigma Alpha … Continue Reading (3 minute read)