author
H. T. (Harry Thomas) Cory
1870–1955
Best known as an engineer and professor, he also wrote clear, practical books that captured the excitement of early electric lighting and large-scale water projects. His work bridges technical history and popular explanation, making it surprisingly readable today.
1 Audiobook
The Thompson-Houston System of Electric Lighting
by H. T. (Harry Thomas) Cory
About the author
Born on May 27, 1870, Harry Thomas Cory was an American engineer, professor, and author whose writing grew directly out of his professional life. He studied at Purdue University and later at Cornell, building a career in engineering that gave him firsthand knowledge of the fast-changing technologies of his era.
Cory is remembered for books such as The Thompson-Houston System of Electric Lighting and The Imperial Valley and the Salton Sink. His subjects ranged from electric light to irrigation and river control, and he had a gift for explaining big technical systems in a way that connected them to everyday progress and public life.
He died on March 22, 1955. For readers today, his books offer more than technical information: they open a window onto a time when electrification, infrastructure, and western water development were reshaping the modern world.