David A. Hounshell
- Birthdate
- 1950/10/18
- Birthplace
- Denver, CO, USA
- Associated organizations
- Harvey Mudd College
- Fields of study
- History of Technology
- Awards
- IEEE Browder J. Thompson Memorial Prize Paper Award
Biography
Born in Denver, Colorado, October 18, 1950, David A. Hounshell grew up in Hobbs, New Mexico. From 1968 to 1972, he attended Southern Methodist University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. While at SMU, Mr. Hounshell took courses in the history of technology, and later pursued graduate study in history at the University of Delaware where he was a Fellow of the Eleutherian Mills-Hagley Foundation. The history of electrical science and technology has been one of his principal interests. He received the M.A. in history in 1975 and expects the Ph.D. to be conferred in June 1978. He was an Assistant Professor of History at Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, California.
Married and the father of a girl, David Hounshell's memberships include Eta Kappa Nu, Sigma Tau, and the Society for the History of Technology.
Mr. Hounshell writes that, "I am deeply indebted to my two principal mentors, Thomas Hughes and Eugene Ferguson. At SMU Professor Hughes first suggested that I study Elisha Gray, and he read and criticized countless drafts of my work on Gray. At Delaware, Professor Ferguson helped me to develop new skills. Together Professors Hughes and Ferguson equipped me with powerful tools to study the history of technology. My greatest challenge as a teacher is to match their performance as teachers and, perhaps more importantly, as friends."
