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A quotation from Herbert Hoover

The great liability of the engineer compared to men of other professions is that his works are out in the open where all can see them. His acts, step by step, are in hard substance. He cannot bury his mistakes in the grave like the doctors. He cannot argue them into thin air or blame the judge like the lawyers. He cannot, like the architects, cover his failures with trees and vines. He cannot, like the politicians, screen his shortcomings by blaming his opponents and hope that the people will forget. The engineer simply cannot deny that he did it. If his works do not work, he is damned.

Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) American engineer, bureaucrat, President of the US (1928-32)
Memoirs: Years of Adventure, 1874–1920, ch. 11 “The Profession of Engineering” (1952)

Sourcing, extensive notes: wist.info/hoover-herbert/77615…

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