Ralph Modjeski

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Ralph Modjeski
Modjeski in 1931
Born	Rudolf Modrzejewski (1861-01-27)January 27, 1861 Bochnia, Galicia and Lodomeria, Austrian Empire
Died	June 26, 1940(1940-06-26) (aged 79) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Citizenship	Austria (1861–1883) United States (1883–1940)
Known for	Building many suspension bridges throughout the United States
Notable work	Benjamin Franklin Bridge Manhattan Bridge Ambassador Bridge San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge
Mother	Helena Modjeska
Awards	Howard N. Potts Medal (1914) Franklin Medal (1921) Membership of NAS (1925) John Fritz Medal (1930)

Ralph Modjeski (born Rudolf Modrzejewski; Polish: [mɔˈdʐɛjɛfskʲi]; January 27, 1861 – June 26, 1940) was a Polish-American civil engineer who achieved prominence as "America's greatest bridge builder."

He furthered the use of suspension bridges and oversaw the design and construction of nearly forty bridges that spanned the great rivers of North America, as well as the development of new rail lines. In addition, he trained succeeding generations of American bridge designers and builders, including Joseph B. Strauss, chief engineer of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge (which was completed six months after Modjeski's San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge).