George W. (George Washington) Plympton

George Washington Plympton was an American civil engineer and technical writer whose published work focused on practical science and engineering. Surviving library and archive records connect him with books such as The Blowpipe, The Aneroid Barometer: Its Construction and Use, and How to Become an Engineer, showing a career centered on explaining tools, methods, and training in a straightforward way.

His writing suggests a strong interest in helping readers learn by doing. Rather than writing for a purely academic audience, he produced books that could serve students, self-improvers, and early professionals, especially in fields tied to engineering, measurement, and applied science.

Archival material also links him to Cooper Union, where he appears as George W. Plympton, A.M., C.E., and as a director in the late 19th century. That fits well with the practical spirit of his books: education, technical skill, and access to useful knowledge.