image of engineers. The perception of a poor public image has led engineers and engineering societies over the years to call for action to improve or reinvent the stereotypical image of the engineer. Comparisons are usually drawn to the images of medical doctors and lawyers and their visibility in movies and television shows. What is often meant by image is public recognition and respect; however, it is unlikely that these will be won by engineers and engineering until the education of engineers becomes more like that of doctors and lawyers.

Many successful television series, from “L. A. Law” to the more recent “Harry's Law,” have projected to the public the excitement that could be found in the legal profession. This kind of image-making prompted some engineers in the early 1990s to propose that a television series, usually referred to as “L. A. Engineer,” be developed to bring attention to their profession. Among the most articulate advocates of the idea was Norman Augustine (born in 1935), former chairman of the Martin-Marietta Corporation and a consummate champion of the profession. (See Norman R. Augustine, “‘L. A. Engineer’,” The Bridge, Fall 1994, pp. 27–29.) While there appeared to be much enthusiasm among engineers for the idea at the time, it did not develop any serious support from the American television industry or from professional underwriting or potential commercial sponsors.