TheStephenP.

TimoshenkoCollection
ThebooksinthiscollectionweregiventoStanfordUniversitybyDr.
Timoshenkointhelate1950s.Hispersonallibraryencompassedover2400
volumescoveringhisstudyofthehistoryofmechanics.Dr.Timoshenkobuilt
relationshipswithexpertsallovertheglobeandthisuniquepositionisreflected
inthevarietyofmaterialsinthecollection.ThebooksondisplayintheTerman
EngineeringLibraryrepresentthemajorityofhiscollection;howeveranumber
ofparticularlyrareorfragileitemsarehousedintheSpecialCollections
DepartmentoftheUniversityLibrary.
StephenProkofyevichTimoshenko(18781972)isoftenreferredtoasthefather
ofappliedmechanicsintheUnitedStates.Hewroteseminalworksintheareas
ofengineeringmechanics,elasticityandthestrengthofmaterials,someof
whicharestillinregularuse.Hisaccomplishmentsinthefieldofappliedmechanicsandhisinfluencein
engineeringeducationarestillfelttoday.DuringhistenureatStanford,hebroughttogetheraninternationally
renownedfacultythatservedasamagnettostudentsandscholarsfromallovertheworld.
HisearlyworkincludedresearchinavariantoftheRayleighRitzmethodofelasticcalculationsandpioneering
hisownworkonbuckling.In1909healsopublishedthefirstversionofhisfamousbook,StrengthofMaterials
inRussianandlaterinPrussian.StrengthofMaterialswasntpublishedinEnglishuntil1930.
ThepopularityofStrengthofMaterialsledtotwoadditionaltitles,ElementsofStrengthofMaterials,
coauthoredwithD.H.YoungandMechanicsofMaterials,coauthoredwithJ.M.Gere.
ProfessorStephenP.Timoshenkohasenriched
thelivesofthousandsofhisstudentsand
colleaguesduringhismanyyearsofactivework.
Heisknowntomostofusasateacher,writer,
researcher,andadvisor,andifanyonedeservesto
becalledthefatherofengineeringmechanicsin
theUnitedStatesitsurelywouldbeProfessor
Timoshenko.
JamesM.GereandDonovanH.Youngfromthe
forwardtoTimoshenkosbookAsIRemember

Timoshenkosotherfamoustextbooksinclude:

AdvancedDynamicscoauthoredwithD.H.Young
TheoryofElasticity
TheoryofElasticStability
TheoryofPlatesandShells
TheoryofStructures
AppliedElasticity
HistoryofStrengthofMaterials

Timoshenkoalsowrotetwootherbooks,EngineeringEducationinRussiaandAsIRemember(his
autobiography).
In1957theAmericanSocietyofMechanicalEngineersestablishedamedalnamedafterStephenTimoshenko.
Hebecameitsfirstrecipient.TheTimoshenkoMedalisgivenannuallyfordistinguishedcontributionsinapplied
mechanics.

Dr.Timoshenkowaselectedamemberof17Academiesandscientificsocietiesthroughouttheworld,including
theNationalAcademyofSciences(USA),RoyalScientificSocietyofGreatBritain,andtheUSSRAcademyof
Sciences.
Dr.TimoshenkostudiedforhisfirstdegreeinRussiaattheInstituteofEngineersofWaysofCommunication.He
alsodidadvancedstudiesinGermanyattheMunichPolytechnicInstituteandattheUniversityofGttingen,
fromwhichhegraduatedin1905.Hewasawarded10goldmedalsforhisscientificmerits:twomedalsinRussia
before1917,threeintheUSA,oneinFrance,oneinBelgium,oneinEnglandandtheJamesWattInternational
Medalwhichisawardedeveryfiveyearstothemostoutstandingengineerintheworld.Hereceivedhonorary
doctoraldegreesfrommanyuniversities.

Referencesandmoreinformation

StephenP.Timoshenko.AsIRemember;theautobiographyofStephenP.Timoshenko.Princeton,Van
Nostrand,1968,
MemorialResolution,StanfordUniversityhttp://histsoc.stanford.edu/pdfmem/TimoshenkoS.pdf
BiographicalMemoirsv.53NationalAcademyofSciences,1982
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=576&page=322
RichardG.Weingart.StephenP.Timoshenko:FatherofEngineeringMechanicsintheU.S.,Structure
Magazine,August2007.http://www.structuremag.org/article.aspx?articleID=366