author
William Barclay Parsons
1859–1932
A pioneering civil engineer who helped shape modern New York, he is best remembered for leading the design of the city’s first subway and for a career that reached from American infrastructure to railway surveys in China.
1 Audiobook
Robert Fulton and the Submarine
by William Barclay Parsons
About the author
Born in New York City in 1859, William Barclay Parsons became one of the most prominent American civil engineers of his era. He studied at Columbia, later founded the engineering firm that became Parsons Brinckerhoff, and built a reputation for tackling large, complicated public works.
He played a central role in the creation of New York City’s first subway, serving as chief engineer for the rapid transit project at the turn of the twentieth century. His work also extended far beyond New York: sources connect him with railroad surveys in China, consulting work for the Panama Canal, and leadership on the Cape Cod Canal.
Parsons also served in the U.S. Army and was widely recognized in engineering circles for both practical achievement and public service. He died in 1932, leaving behind a legacy tied to some of the most ambitious transportation and infrastructure projects of his time.