Wilbur M. Wilson
Wilbur Wilson was born in 1881, and received his B.M.E. degree from Iowa State College in 1900. He went on to receive his M.M.E. from Cornell University in 1904. Professor Wilson joined the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1913, where he taught and conducted research until his retirement in 1949. His research was focused on the strength and behavior of structures and structural elements. This work led to developments in the field of bridge rollers. His multitude of breakthroughs in the field aided the design and construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. Among his many awards were the Wason Medal (1939) from the American Concrete Institute, and the Octave Chanute Medal (1915 and 1937) from the Western Society of Engineers.