George Moler 1875 (at far right) and other faculty with the dynamo during Sibley College’s 60th anniversary in 1931. (Rare and Manuscript Collections) Cornelliana How Cornell Became Home to the World’s First Outdoor Electric Lights Stories You May Like What’s the Weather Going to Be? Check the Signal Pole! 150 Years of Mechanical Engineering on the Hill: Fascinating Facts After More than a Century, Cornell’s Hydroelectric Plant is Still Humming In the 19th century, a pioneering ‘dynamo’ not only lit up the campus—it sparked advances in engineering research on the Hill By Joe Wilensky Most students who frequent the advanced physics lab on the third floor of Clark Hall likely overlook the ancient-looking mechanism that sits on a sturdy cart in the corner. Composed of hulking dark metal and wrapped wires, it looks a bit like the innards of an old-time sewing machine on steroids, measuring four feet across at its largest dimension. But a century and a half ago, the apparatus was a modern marvel: one of the world’s first electric dynamos (machines that convert mechanical energy into electrical energy). Literally and figuratively, it illuminated a new era on the Hill. Constructed by a physics professor and several students, the dynamo—the first of its type built in this country—powered a pair of carbon arc lamps (early electric bulbs that produced light by zapping voltage between two electrodes). ProvidedThe dynamo now sits in a Clark Hall lab. The dynamo and lamps operated on campus for a decade, comprising the world’s first outdoor electric lighting system. “One of the first practical uses of the dynamo was to power some arc lights installed in the towers of McGraw Hall and Sage Chapel,” noted Kermit Parsons, MRP ’53, in his 1968 book The Cornell Campus: A History of its Planning and Development. “In January 1880, the intense light of these arc lights was visible for miles around Ithaca. There was, of course, no competition from other light sources.” In January 1880, the intense light of these arc lights was visible for miles around Ithaca. There was, of course, no competition from other light sources. Kermit Parsons, MRP ’53, in The Cornell Campus The device was based on that of the Gramme dynamo, developed by Belgian inventor Zenobe Theophile Gramme in Paris in 1871. Comprising 30 overlapping coils around a spinning circular armature of iron, it was the first such generator to have real-world applications, producing voltage that was high and consistent enough for use in commerce and industry. George Moler 1875. (Its basic design remains at the heart of many direct-current motors today.) Prof. William Anthony, who headed Cornell’s physics and electrical engineering departments in the 1870s and ’80s, had a keen interest in the future of electrical power. After reportedly trying without success to purchase a Gramme dynamo from Paris, he decided to manufacture his own based on journal articles describing its design. Anthony spent several years building the dynamo, with help from his chief assistant, then-undergrad George Moler 1875, and a few other students. They had to devise their own materials on the fly; for example, covered and insulated copper wire did not yet exist in the U.S., so they invented a method to manufacture it. When the dynamo was completed, they connected it to a four-horsepower petroleum engine devised by an engineering professor. The contraption was initially put into service for lectures on electricity, replacing what had been a painstaking process of creating a wet-battery system for each day’s demonstration. Anthony and Moler showed the dynamo at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, where several other early electrical devices were on display. Joe Wilensky / Cornell UniversityA detailed view of the now-retired dynamo’s mechanism. By 1879, they had run wires from the dynamo (by then installed in the basement of Morrill Hall) to carbon arc lights in the belfries of Sage Chapel and McGraw Hall, demonstrating the feasibility of an outdoor electric lighting system on campus. During that first winter, Moler later recalled, “these crudely constructed arc lights were the center of a great deal of interest, their flickering and sputtering attracting quite as much attention as when they were working properly.” The setup was temporary, though; faculty reportedly objected to the unsightly poles on which the wires were suspended. Their flickering and sputtering [attracted] quite as much attention as when they were working properly. George Moler 1875, on the outdoor lights Not to be dissuaded, Moler and Anthony devised an underground cable system connecting the dynamo to the lights. This solution relied on another of the pair’s inventions: they wrapped muslin around the wiring and drew it into an iron pipe, through which they ran smoking-hot tallow—thus sealing and insulating the covered wire. Stories You May Like What’s the Weather Going to Be? Check the Signal Pole! 150 Years of Mechanical Engineering on the Hill: Fascinating Facts The system represented another engineering landmark: it was the first time electric power was transmitted by underground cable—certainly in the U.S., and possibly in the world. A segment of the original underground electric cable resides in the University Archives. When a portion of the original cable was dug up more than four decades later, it was still perfectly insulated; a segment still resides in the University Archives. (And for the record: although numerous sites give Thomas Edison credit for the first underground electric power line, in fact the Cornell team beat him by nearly a year.) As Morris Bishop 1914, PhD 1926, wrote in A History of Cornell, the lights illuminating campus at night became “the wonder of the countryside and indeed of the engineering world.” The Hill’s outdoor lighting expanded in the early 1880s, and in 1883 trustees approved the nation’s first accredited course in electrical engineering. By the middle of that decade, the University Library had become one of the nation’s first libraries to install indoor electric lighting, allowing it to remain open in the evenings year-round. By the mid-1880s, the University Library had become one of the nation’s first libraries to install indoor electric lighting, allowing it to remain open in the evenings year-round. The dynamo ran campus lighting for about 10 years before being replaced by more modern models. Recognized as the first practical Gramme dynamo built in the Western Hemisphere, it then went on the road, exhibited at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, and the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis before returning to Ithaca, where it powered lab machinery at least through the early 1930s. The Sibley School’s dynamo lab in the late 1800s. As Bishop later wrote, the dynamo “has now become emeritus, performing only at high engineering festivals.” Anthony went on to help establish the University’s electrical engineering program; Moler spent 40 years on the faculty, developing vast dynamo labs in Sibley and Franklin halls, where many innovators in the fast-growing field received their early training. As Morris Bishop 1914, PhD 1926, wrote: the dynamo “has now become emeritus, performing only at high engineering festivals.” The original dynamo did have one more starring role: in 1931, during Sibley College’s 60th anniversary celebration, Moler and several other early faculty members ceremonially turned it on to light the Willard Straight Memorial Room. “While New York and Paris were still in the dark,” the Daily Sun later mused, reflecting on the dynamo’s place in history, “Cornell had seen the light.” Top: George Moler 1875 (at far right) and other faculty with the dynamo during Sibley College’s 60th anniversary in 1931. (All photos courtesy of Rare and Manuscript Collections, unless otherwise indicated.) Published August 8, 2025; updated September 8, 2025 Comments Belinda S Thompson, Class of 1981 13 Aug, 2025 I wish there were annual innovation projects for teams of either undergraduate or graduate students in appropriate majors to transform the campus into a future-looking innovative place. A monorail transit system, a gravity tram to and from downtown, solar-powered sidewalk snow melting, solar collectors over cars in outdoor parking lots, robotic mowing machines, robotic package/mail delivery within buildings, stair-climbers for places not served by elevators … I am sure that students guided by experienced faculty experts can deliver innovative designs for a host of things that I haven’t imagined. Maybe alumni would donate to support contests. Reply Ralph Wilhelm, Class of 1967 31 Aug, 2025 Belinda: A fine letter indeed! I am a 1967 graduate of Electrical Engineering. A thought for you would be to spend a fit of time, if you can of course, on the Engineering Quad to look over or at least talk to the student teams, each with a faculty advisory, that are focused on roughly 25 different project every year….from buillding a race car from scratch (FORMULA SAE) to autonomous flying machines to solar cars, etc. The students learn a huge amount in these extracuricular projects…..some of the prjojects taking 10 to 40 or more hours per week. But they learn how engineering and creation is done in industry these days…in TEAMS. I was fortunate to be involved in the General Mortors support for the Formula Racing car beginning in 1986 to 1987…that lasted for years. The Formula team still exists and does very well. Just a thought to build upon your note…. Best to you, Ralph Wilhelm Reply Susan Male, Class of 1976 17 Aug, 2025 Super interesting! My family is full of engineers, and I only wish my dad were still around, so I could share this article with him. Reply Bill Barden, Class of 1975 26 Aug, 2025 My Dad was EE 1935, and I would love to have shared this article with him. A great tribute to Cornell Engineering! Reply Wayne Grenning 18 Aug, 2025 It is wonderful to see the historic Gramme Dynamo Still exists today. The George Brayton Petroleum engine that powered it was equally as important. Does the school have any history on that, or what may have happened to it? Wayne Grenning – Author and historian on early internal Combustion engines Reply Richard Saltz, Class of 1973 26 Aug, 2025 This is just one example of the importance of research at universities. Cornell has many “firsts” due to outstanding research in many fields by its innovative, inquisitive faculty and students. We would all be in the dark if it wasn’t for new and experimental thought. Keep up the great work. Reply Jim Moore, Class of 1962 26 Aug, 2025 I think that the spirit of innovation in the power industry was carried on by Simpson (Sam) Linke (1917-2013). He was my mentor ca 1962 on a summer project I worked on to develop a circuit breaker for DC power systems. His vision on the future of DC power transmission was way ahead of its practicality with the development of solid state high power devices 60+ years later! Reply Don K SHARDLOW, Class of 1958 26 Aug, 2025 This is amazing!!! I don’t ever recall hearing about this when I was a Cornell Student graduating in 1958. Thank you for sharing this message. I will share it with my Grandchildren. sincerely, — Don Shardlow (Class of 1958) !! Reply Cynthia Edmondson, Class of 1964 26 Aug, 2025 My grandfather graduated from Cornell about 1899. I wonder if he was aware of this. He was in the Ag school. Reply Elliott Meisel, Class of 1968 27 Aug, 2025 Hardly a day goes by that some invention, innovation, discovery, or other noteworthy action by Cornell or a Cornellian in almost every human endeavor isn’t reported. It would be great if someone crawled the media and reported them in a blog perhaps organized by discipline. Just as the first underground electrical cable wasn’t credited to it, I think Cornell’s contributions in everything from microbiology to astrophysics is unknown or underappreciated. More than ever these attributes are needed to insulate it from pretextual funding cuts Reply Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Campus & Beyond Works of Art, Inside and Out: The Johnson Museum at 50 Chime In How Practicing Yoga Has Helped Me Regain My Flow Cornelliana The Cornell Club Is a Big Red Oasis in NYC