The electrical engineer Mehmed Refik Fenmen (1882-1951) witnessedboth the last decades of the Ottoman Empire and the first decades of the newlyestablished Turkish Republic. Born in an aristocratic family, he was educated inthe leading private schools in Istanbul. He studied mathematics and physics inLausanne University. Following his graduation, he attendedL’Institutélectrotechnique Montéfiore in Liège and obtained a diploma in electricalengineering in 1906. Back to Istanbul, he lectured in physics and electricity inthe School of Engineering (Mühendis Mektebi; 1908-1913) and the University(Darülfünun; 1919-1925). He acted as director of the School of Engineering(1910 -1913) and School of Mining Engineering (Zonguldak Maden YüksekMühendis Mektebi; 1925-1931). He undertook the management of the IndustrialZone of Istanbul and the Electrification Office of Turkey in 1930s.Fenmen was deeply interested in the electrification problems of Turkey in1920s and 1930s. He researched the energy supplies used in various countriesfor electrification. To deal with Turkey’s electrical energy problem, heexamined the coalfields of Zonguldak and Söğütözü; the water powers andlignites of Thrace and Anatolia and he published his views about how to utilizethese sources. Fenmen is a highly esteemed intellectual in the eyes of historiansof science and engineering studying the first decades of Turkish Republic. Hewas among the founders of Osmanlı Mühendis ve Mimar Cemiyeti, the firstorganization of engineers and architects in Turkey. He was one of the scholarswho introduced Einstein’s relativity in Turkey. The number of his books onphysics, engineering and technical issues is over 30. In this article, thebiography of Mehmet Refik Fenmen will be reviewed with special emphasis onthe less-known aspects of his professional career in electrical engineering
The electrical engineer Mehmed Refik Fenmen (1882-1951) witnessed both the last decades of the Ottoman Empire and the first decades of the newly established Turkish Republic. Born in an aristocratic family, he was educated in the leading private schools in Istanbul. He studied mathematics and physics inLausanne University. Following his graduation, he attended L’Institut électrotechnique Montéfiore in Liège and obtained a diploma in electrical engineering in 1906. Back to Istanbul, he lectured in physics and electricity in the School of Engineering (Mühendis Mektebi; 1908-1913) and the University (Darülfünun; 1919-1925). He acted as director of the School of Engineering (1910 -1913) and School of Mining Engineering (Zonguldak Maden Yüksek Mühendis Mektebi; 1925-1931). He undertook the management of the Industrial Zone of Istanbul and the Electrification Office of Turkey in 1930s.Fenmen was deeply interested in the electrification problems of Turkey in 1920s and 1930s. He researched the energy supplies used in various countries for electrification. To deal with Turkey’s electrical energy problem, he examined the coalfields of Zonguldak and Sö ğütözü; the water powers and lignites of Thrace and Anatolia and he published his views about how to utilize these sources. Fenmen is a highly esteemed intellectual in the eyes of historians of science and engineering studying the first decades of Turkish Republic. He was among the founders of Osmanlı Mühendis ve Mimar Cemiyeti, the first organization of engineers and architects in Turkey. He was one of the scholars who introduced Einstein’s relativity in Turkey. The number of his books on physics, engineering and technical issues is over 30. In this article, the biography of Mehmet Refik Fenmen will be reviewed with special emphasis on the less-known aspects of his professional career in electrical engineering.