When I recently made a presentation on my latest book, Engineering Legends, at the Library of Congress (LOC) in Washington, D.C., most people in the audience were non-engineers. They came to hear about the contributions engineers had made to the progress of our world from the Revolutionary War to present times.

Their attention was captured by learning about a handful of the 32 greats spotlighted in my book. What was happening while these engineers were accomplishing their work? How did their engineering achievements affect society? The answers to these two questions—in addition to the exciting personal details about the engineers—piqued everyone’s interest.

Following my presentation, many expressed surprise upon learning how significant structural and civil engineers were to the success of familiar projects. For instance, three projects that moved the United States from being an agrarian country into a powerful nation—the Erie Canal, the Transcontinental Railroad, and the Interstate Highway System—are all labeled "eighth wonders of the world." They would not have been completed as quickly or effectively as they were without engineering input and leadership.

Members of this LOC audience were fascinated to hear what Benjamin Wright (who has been called "The father of American civil engineers") accomplished—including how he trained many non-college-educated young Americans as engineers—to complete the Erie Canal. The audience learned that it was railroad and bridge engineers Theodore Judah and Grandville Dodge who enabled America’s Transcontinental Railroad—which was the first in the world—to be completed so successfully. Most were amazed to learn that structural engineers, not architects, make skyscrapers, sports stadiums, and monuments, such as the St. Louis Arch, stand up.

The questions from the audience varied. Some wanted more details about the lives of the engineers presented, several wanted to learn about other notable engineers and how they changed our built environment. One woman, who is not an engineer, commented, "I don’t care how great an engineer is or how technically complex his or her accomplishments are. If that engineer, or any engineer, can’t tell me how engineering works affect me, I’m not interested. I don’t want to hear about how wonderful engineers are in general. I want to know how their contributions fit into history." She was pleased that my presentation did exactly that for her.

I felt especially gratified when a fragile, tiny, gray-haired woman came up to me, grabbed my hands, and said, "Oh, thank you. I’ve never enjoyed a speech more. Engineering is so mysterious to me. At first, I was afraid you’d talk way over my head. But you didn’t. How you told about all the efforts engineers have made to build our country was so understandable, so wonderful to hear about."

Often I have heard comments that ours is an "invisible" profession. Frequently, I am aware of the Rodney Dangerfield-type complaint of "I get no respect" from engineers. To accept these impressions is cowardice. We engineers need to be more than passive players when it comes to influencing the public and media. Sitting around bellyaching that those outside our industry do not pay us our due respect produces nothing. Changing perceptions requires being proactive and bold rather than reactive and subservient.

My experience speaking at the LOC reaffirmed my belief that the public has a keen interest in engineering deeds and the individual engineers who accomplish them. Many people just haven’t been made aware of the significance of engineers and engineering. As an industry, let’s develop more ways—including events and media connections—to present our legends and their good deeds in the best light possible.

Remember the legend about three men loading rocks in their wheel barrels? As the tale goes, a passerby asks the first man what he is doing and the man answers, "I’m hauling rocks." The second man replies, "I’m helping build a wall." When the third man is asked, he puffs up his chest and says, "I’m building a cathedral!" Well, my fellow engineers, we are building "cathedrals"—so to speak—and other great work every day. Let’s say so! And like the third man, let’s take immense pride in telling the public what we do.

We have to get out of our shells and deliver our message to a broader audience, not in engineering terminology, but in a language non-engineers can relate to. Not only should we talk about engineering projects, but also about individual engineers with a relevance that the public can understand. Speak to non-engineering groups as often as possible. You will be surprised how much they will appreciate it!

Richard Weingardt, P.E., is CEO and chairman of Richard Weingardt Consultants, Inc., a Denver-based structural engineering firm. He can be reached via e-mail at rweingartd@gostructural.com.