Describes the development of, and examines the assumptions behind, Frank Aydelotte's 1917 theory and pedagogy of technical writing, called the "thought movement," in which engineering students were required to think and write about issues important to their education and future careers. (SR)

Evaluates Samuel Chandler Earle's 1911 presentation to the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education. Demonstrates Earle's role in the shift of technical writing courses that combined both the goals of an engineering curriculum with the real-world needs of the graduated engineer. Finds that Earle's "Tufts Experiment" provided…

While working as a special consultant for General Mills in 1948, John Dos Passos wrote a report explaining the latest scientific research and technological advancements and how the postwar economy was affecting General Mills and the cereal market. General Mills, using a real writer for a corporate freelance, profited from Dos Passos' expertise and…