An extraordinary company often begins with an exceptional man. In the case of Hardesty & Hanover, the exceptional man was bridge design pioneer, John Alexander Low Waddell.

Upon earning a Civil Engineering degree in 1875 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Waddell embarked on a journey of self-education through world travels and unparalleled hands-on experience. Waddell first went to Canada, where he designed buoys and structures for the Marine Department of the Dominion. He also worked for the Canadian Pacific Railroad as both a designer and field construction superintendent. Waddell traveled to West Virginia where he worked as an engineer for a coal mining company, as well as, study land surveying, ventilation shaft design, and construction. These early adventures established a framework for Waddell's now legendary innovations.

In 1881, Waddell settled in Iowa and was appointed Chief Engineer for Raymond and Campbell, a firm that specialized in bridge construction. In this position, Waddell combined his creativity with modern engineering principles to revolutionize bridge design and construction.

Needing to establish his own mark, Waddell, in 1887, at the age of 33, left Raymond & Campbell to launch his own engineering consulting firm in Kansas City. In less than five years, Waddell's client list included 50 railroads and most major cities. His reputation as a creative and determined engineer led to a diverse range of international clients. Waddell designed highway bridges in Cuba and more than 200 railway bridges for the Vera Cruz and Pacific Railway of Mexico. He also serviced clients in New Zealand and Russia. In1907 Waddell was appointed Principal Engineer of the Trans-Alaska Siberian Railway Co. to develop an ambitious link between Russia and the United States across the Bering Straits.

In 1894, Waddell designed the South Halsted Street Bridge in Chicago, one of the most daring and unusual structures of its era. The bridge was the first modern vertical-lift bridge and the first within the United States. Waddell's peers quickly accepted this design, using it as a prototype for ensuing generations of lift spans.

Waddell believed engineers were obligated to share information to advance the profession. He utilized long hours aboard railroad cars and steam ships to write volumes on his research. His first major work, "The Design of Ordinary Iron Highway Bridges" is still used at major engineering schools throughout the world. Other important Waddell publications include "De Pontibus", "Bridge Engineering" and "Economics of Bridge Work."

Waddell also coined several popular engineering aphorisms including, "The science of bridge design lies mainly in the detailing" and "The life of a bridge specialist is by no means easy. His governing motto should ever be integrity, thoroughness, and progress." These quotes are proudly displayed at Hardesty & Hanover's offices to serve as inspiration for modern engineers.

Waddell's contributions were recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The prestigious organization awarded him the Norman Medals for three important papers: "Nickel Steel for Bridges" (1909), "The Possibilities in Bridge Construction by the Use of High Alloy Steels" (1915), and "Economics of Steel Arch Bridges" (1918). The American Association of Engineers presented him with its 1931 Clausen Medal for "distinguished service for the welfare of engineers, social and economic."

In Kansas City, Waddell formed associations with his principal engineers, Ira G. Hendrick from 1899 to 1907 and John Lyle Harrington from 1907 to 1914. In 1917. However, Waddell's most important association was forged in 1908, when Waddell returned to Rensselaer Polytechnic to recruit an ambitious graduate for his staff. He selected Shortridge Hardesty, a young man from Weston, Missouri. Hardesty and Waddell shared the same zest for combing engineering's practical and theoretical aspects to create bold designs. Hardesty entered the firm as a draftsman and worked on both the design and construction of more than 50 bridges in the United States and Canada, as well as, two in New Zealand and one in Russia.

Seeking a greater international presence, as well as, increased job opportunities on the east coast, Waddell moved his practice to New York in 1920. Upon the firm's arrival in New York, Hardesty became responsible for all projects, enabling Waddell to pursue travel, professional meetings, and research. In 1927, Hardesty became a partner and the company's name changed to Waddell & Hardesty.

The newly established Waddell & Hardesty exclusively focused on the vertical lift bridge. Waddell & Hardesty designed almost every vertical lift railroad bridge in the New York City metropolitan area. The crown jewel of this bridge building empire was the Newark Bay Bridge designed for the Central Railroad of New Jersey in 1926. The bridge required two pairs of double track lift spans-one measuring 299 feet and the other measuring 211 feet. Hardesty contributed notably to this bridge form, acquiring four lift bridge counterweight and machinery patents.

During the late 1920's and early 1930's, an increasing number of bridges were designed exclusively for highway traffic. Hardesty foresaw this need and ordered the firm to expand its bridge form repertoire, resulting in immediate success. Shortridge Hardesty designed the Goethals and Outerbridge cantilever bridges for The Port of New York Authority. Both bridges are still major crossing for the bustling city. He also designed the Cooper River Bridge in Charleston, South Carolina-a milestone in cantilever truss design. The Cooper River Bridge featured two spans, one measuring 1050 feet over the river, while the other span measured 640 feet over an adjacent creek. At the time of construction, it was the longest bridge in the world and exceeded the Brooklyn Bridge in height. However, the firm's most stunning achievement was completing the project in 17 months.

Hardesty was among the first recipients of several major engineering awards. The American Institute of Steel Construction recognized six of the firm's bridges: the Anthony Wayne suspension bridge, the Atlantic Highlands double-leaf bascule, two cantilever truss bridges, the Highland Park and the North Grand Island bridges, the Marine Parkway vertical lift highway bridge over Rockaway Inlet in New York and the Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls.

In 1924, another name was added to Waddell & Hardesty's illustrious engineer roster, Clinton D. Hanover. A Yale graduate with a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Hanover worked as a draftsman for New Haven bridge consultant, E. W. Wiggin. Upon his relocation to New York, he joined Waddell & Hardesty. On two separate occasions he left the firm for brief stints on other important projects. In 1933, he served as special engineer on the design of movable bridges for the Jones Beach State Parkway Authority and in 1935 he was the coordinating engineer for the construction of the Harlem River Lift Bridge.

From 1935 until he was invited back as a partner in 1945, Hanover was employed at the Department of Public Works of the City of New York, and rose to the position of Chief of the Bureau of Bridge Design.