Leffert Lefferts Buck (February 5, 1837 – July 7, 1909) was an American civil engineer and a pioneer in the use of steel arch bridge structures.

Career

Leffert Buck was born in Canton, New York. He graduated from St. Lawrence University in 1863. After his graduation from St. Lawrence, Buck enlisted and fought for the Union Army in the American Civil War under General Slocum, participating in the battles at Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Peachtree Creek, Resaca and Ringgold Gap. Following the completion of the Civil War, Buck earned his civil engineering degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, in 1868. Buck served as president of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He also worked with Richard Buck, another prominent bridge engineer.

Projects

Some of his projects include:

Death and legacy

Buck died on July 7, 1909, in Hastings, New York. His widow, Mira Gould Buck, died in Eastview, New York, in 1946 at the age of 84. A dormitory in the Quadrangle complex at Rensselaer is named after him.

Sources