American Scientist

A recent informal survey of American business leaders who began their careers as engineers found that many of them recall with fondness playing as children with chemistry sets and construction toys such as Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys and Erector sets. In addition to using these packaged training kits, many engineers who currently serve as chief executives remember being interested in how things work. According to Wayne Allen, a mechanical engineer who is chief executive of Phillips Petroleum, "I frequently would take toys and machines apart just to know mechanically how they worked, whether it was a bike, go-cart, or car." Whether such activity inspired or just prefigured an interest in engineering, it is uncannily common and familiar among older engineers.