William J. Wilgus

William John Wilgus
Born(1865-11-20)November 20, 1865
Buffalo, New York, US
DiedOctober 24, 1949(1949-10-24) (aged 83)
Claremont, New Hampshire, US
EducationCornell University
OccupationEngineer
SpouseMay Reed
Children2
Engineering career
ProjectsGrand Central Terminal

William J. Wilgus (1865–1949) was an American civil engineer. In 1902 he was responsible for the design and construction of New York City's Grand Central Terminal.[1] Wilgus coined the term "taking wealth from the air" from his idea to lease the area above the Park Avenue Tunnel in order to help finance the station. This is based on the legal concept known as air rights. He is also credited with the double-stacked track design of the station, that greatly increased its capacity.[2] During the First World War, Wilgus served as the American Expeditionary Force chief of logistics and rail transport.[3]

  1. ^ Gray, Christopher (August 19, 2010). "Covering Its Tracks Paid Off Handsomely". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-21.
  2. ^ "Grand Central". American Experience. 2009-02-28. PBS.
  3. ^ Wilgus, William J. (1931). Transporting the A.E.F. in Western Europe, 1917-1919. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.