Yesterday, I wrote about the legendary George Westinghouse. For the young people out there, Nikola Tesla admired Westinghouse. That should say it all.
Today, I’m the proud caretaker of an incredible handwritten letter from George Westinghouse (see photo above)!
To hold in my hands the same piece of paper that Westinghouse held in his hands and who then took the time and effort to express his thoughts on is just surreal to me.
The letter reads:
Today, I’m the proud caretaker of an incredible handwritten letter from George Westinghouse (see photo above)!
To hold in my hands the same piece of paper that Westinghouse held in his hands and who then took the time and effort to express his thoughts on is just surreal to me.
The letter reads:
October 9th [1909]
To the Editor of Life
Nothing that has been said about me in print ever gave Mrs Westinghouse & me greater pleasure than your congratulations on my birthday published in this weeks [sic] issue. Please accept from both of us our sincerest thanks & best wishes.
Sincerely Yours
Geo. Westinghouse
What's incredible about this letter is that, first of all, it is fully handwritten. It's not a typed letter with a simple signature. Second, the letter mentions his wife Marguerite of 42 years at the time. It subtly shows how close they still were. And third, Westinghouse left very few written materials. He was a private man. This letter gives us a rare window into his personality, which is one of sincere appreciation and friendliness.
As the steward of this amazing piece of history, I will continue to tell others about George Westinghouse. He serves as a perfect role model for the modern, technology-driven world. But it's not for what you probably think. Westinghouse was an innovative man, to be sure -- he has 361 patents to his name -- but what truly separated him from the rest and what made him legendary was that he also understood the importance of humanity to accomplish great feats in life. It's a timeless lesson that all wise people end up learning and living. ☯
As the steward of this amazing piece of history, I will continue to tell others about George Westinghouse. He serves as a perfect role model for the modern, technology-driven world. But it's not for what you probably think. Westinghouse was an innovative man, to be sure -- he has 361 patents to his name -- but what truly separated him from the rest and what made him legendary was that he also understood the importance of humanity to accomplish great feats in life. It's a timeless lesson that all wise people end up learning and living. ☯
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