The woman credited with saving the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge in the 1880s was awarded a posthumous degree on Saturday and also gave a commencement speech to graduates with the help of AI.
Emily Warren Roebling was honored at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Bicentennial Commencement Ceremony for her work in seeing the completion of the first bridge connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Her husband, Washington Roebling, the project's chief engineer and a Troy University graduate, contracted a mysterious illness during the project and was incapacitated. Construction began in 1869 and took him until 1883 to complete.
RPI researchers used artificial intelligence to create Roebling's script, which was read by actress Liz Withan, who played the Victorian pioneer in the HBO series “The Gilded Age.”
“We are thrilled to be able to read the commencement address in Emily's voice, which was recorded with the help of archival materials, the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT-4, and a little human editing,” Wisan said at the ceremony. He spoke at
“Be bold in your aspirations, diligent in your efforts, and generous in your successes,” Wissan said as Roebling.
“Always strive to build bridges, both literally and figuratively, that connect not just land, but hearts and minds.”
RPI President Martin Schmidt awarded Roebling an honorary doctorate in engineering, but because she was a woman, she was unable to attend the school during her lifetime.
“Emily successfully assumed the day-to-day management and oversight of the largest engineering project of our time, which inspired future female engineers,” Schmidt said.
Her descendants Antoinette Maniati and Chris Roebling accepted degrees on her behalf.
According to a release from the school, this is the first time in RPI's history that a degree will be conferred posthumously.
Roebling's husband, Washington Roebling, was rendered bedridden in 1872, while the project was well underway, by a “bend,” probably related to changes in air pressure at the bridge construction site.
In addition to being his nurse and secretary, she also came forward to review construction plans, visit sites and meet with contractors and officials, according to the History Channel.
Although she was unable to attend college, she studied with her husband and obtained important information about the underwater foundations needed for the Brooklyn Bridge.
Designed by Roebling's father John, it was the world's first steel wire suspension bridge and opened in 1883.
The day before the bridge's grand opening, Roebling had the honor of driving the first horse-drawn carriage across the bridge.
Another speaker at Saturday's ceremony was astronaut Reed Wiseman, a 1997 RPI graduate who will lead NASA's first manned mission to the moon since the Apollo program.
