Dexter S. Kimball Quotes (1865-1952)

“The underlying principle of specialization is division of labor; but the term division of labor has become associated with the individual worker, whereas specialization is, in general, far reaching in its effects, and influences industrial enterprises of all kinds.”

“The underlying principle of specialization is division of labor; but the term division of labor has become associated with the individual worker, whereas specialization is, in general, far reaching in its effects, and influences industrial enterprises of all kinds.”

“The new industrial methods have greatly accelerated certain tendencies that had already manifested themselves in the old domestic factories and some of these deserve more than passing notice as they are affecting not only productive processes but our social organization as well. Perhaps the most important of these influences are those that tend toward  (1) Aggregation or increase in size of industrial enterprises.  (2) Specialization or the limiting of the field of activity, not only of enterprises but also of men.  (3) Standardization or the reduction of all lines of product to a limited number of types and sizes.  (4) Extreme division of labor, following aggregation, specialization, and standardization and requiring special consideration. These tendencies are all closely interlocked with each other, and with modern productive methods. It will be clearer, however, to discuss them separately before summing up their joint action.”

“The term division of labor has, from long usage, become associated in the public mind with manual processes. But productive labor is, in general, both manual and mental and just as there may be division of manual labor so there may be division of mental labor or division of thought. Modern productive methods tend constantly to separate mental labor from manual labor and then to subdivide each into smaller and smaller parts. The subdivision of manual labor is greatly furthered, as has been seen, by the extended use of tools. Subdivision of mental labor on the other hand is hastened by an increase in the amount of knowledge and mental development necessary to successfully perform the work in hand. Thus the mental labor of designing machinery is performed largely apart from the actual production; and this mental labor has become very closely specialized as the scientific basis of engineering has grown. This process of subdivision is greatly hastened in both manual and mental operations by increased quantity since this, of itself, enables the manager to avail himself of the inherent advantages of division of labor already discussed.”

“We are proud of Dean Kimball’s national fame as an engineer and leader in engineering education: we are mindful of his outstanding professional achievements which have contributed to the prestige of our College. Yet, in the intimacy of this Cornell group, our main desire is to record our respect and affection for one who in the discharge of his duties has evinced qualities of gentle humanity and gracious friendship adorning his technical skill and attainments. He has done perhaps his most important work for education in two fields, as Dean of the College of Engineering and as writer of successful books in a newly opened and most important field. By the breadth of his intellectual interests and by his literary and artistic knowledge and sympathies, he has set a lofty standard for his fellow engineers who wish to add to their scientific accomplishments something of his maturity and richness of understanding of the finer things of life.”

“A full account of his life would read like a typical American success story of a career during the post-war years of rapid industrialization and mechanization.”