J. Harland Billings

A native of Canada, Professor Billings was a 1911 graduate of the University of Toronto. After graduating from college, he worked as an Assistant Engineer with Canada Machinery Corporation for two years. In 1914, he worked as an instructor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Missouri before returning to school and receiving a master's degree from M.I.T. in 1915. Prior to his arrival at Drexel in 1919, he taught at Johns Hopkins (1 year) and the University of Toronto (2 years). Professor Billings had taught at Drexel University for fifty  years and retired in 1969.

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Professor J. Harland Billings

Professor Billings was instrumental in the development of mechanical engineering laboratories at Drexel. He was a specialist in kinematics and taught thermodynamics, and internal combustion engineering. He served as a consultant to the U. S. Navy and to the government of Canada. He was the author of 3 textbooks and numerous articles. He was the Department Head from 1945 – 1959.  He was also the Acting Dean of the College of Engineering from 1944-1946.

Billings was named a fellow of ASME in 1957. The J. Harland Billings Professorship was established in June, 1973. The first individual to hold the position was Pei Chi Chou (a professor of mechanical engineering).