Ralph Modjeski

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Ralph Modjeski (born Rudolf Modrzejewski) (1861-1940) was a Polish-born American engineer who achieved prominence in the United States.

He was born in Bochnia, Poland on January 27, 1861 to Gustav Sinnmayer Modrzejewski and actress Helena Opid Modrzejewska (best-known as "Helena Modjeska"). His father died in 1865 and in 1868 his mother married Count Bożenty Chłapowski. Together they emigrated to America in July 1876, where his mother changed her name to Helena Modjeska and her son's name to Ralph Modjeski. The son returned to Europe to study at l'Ecole des Ponts et Chaussees in Paris, France, where he graduated in 1885 at the top of his class. He married the same year, to Felicie Benda (the couple had three children). He later married Virginia Mary Giblyn.

Modjeski returned to America to begin his career, working on projects in several states. In 1895 he opened his own office. His first project as a chief engineer was the railroad bridge across the Mississippi River at Rock Island, Illinois. During his career he served as chief or consulting engineer on dozens of bridges around the country.

He took over the mis-designed Quebec Bridge after the 1907 disaster that killed 75 workers, and succeeded in creating the longest truss span in the world (though a construction accident killed another ten workers). It is still the longest cantilever bridge in the world.

He died June 26, 1940 in Los Angeles, California. He was considered "America's greatest bridge builder" and received many awards and honorary degrees. Notable among them is the John Fritz Medal in 1930.