Joseph Baermann Strauss was an American structural engineer, best known for being the chief engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge.

He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to an artistic family of German ancestry, having a mother who was a pianist and a father, Raphael Strauss, who was a writer and painter.

His pianist mother had an unfortunate accident which ultimately ended her concert career. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1892. He served as both class poet and president.

Strauss graduated with a degree in economics and business. He was hospitalized while in college and his hospital room overlooked the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge. This sparked his interest in bridges.

Upon graduating, Strauss worked at the Office of Ralph Modjeski, a firm which specialized in building bridges.

At that time, bascule bridges were built with expensive iron counterweights. He proposed using cheaper concrete counterweights in place of iron.

When his ideas were rejected, he left the firm and started his own firm, the Strauss Bascule Bridge Company of Chicago, where he revolutionized the design of bascule bridges.

During the bridge's construction, Strauss started to feel unwell, both mentally and physically. He disappeared for more than six

months -- causing rumors to spread that he had suffered a nervous breakdown.

As Chief engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge, Strauss overcame many problems. He had to find funding and support for the

bridge from the citizens and the U.S. military. There were also innovations in the way the bridge was constructed. It had to span one of the greatest distances ever spanned, reach heights that hadn't been seen in a bridge, and hold up to the forces of the Pacific Ocean.

Why am I telling you all this? This man had a vision that he turned into reality. Against all odds, and even risking his own health.

What's Your Vision?

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Gisela (Gila) Beckermann