Primer of Scientific Management

Frank Bunker Gilbreth

Jan 1912 · D. Van Nostrand Company

About the author

Frank B. Gilbreth was born on July 7, 1868, in Fairfield, Maine. After becoming an engineer in New York City, he married his wife, Lilian, in October 1904. The two were pioneers in the field of management, developing the time-and-motion method to increase efficiency of employees. They published their findings in several important texts including Motion Study. Gilbreth was also the first to use motion-picture photography to study surgical operations. He later formed a consulting business and was in great demand as a lecturer. After Gilbreth's death on June 14, 1924, his wife continued their work. She later published The Quest of the One True Way: A Sketch of the Life of Frank Bunker Gilbreth, and As I Remember: An Autobiography. Gilbreth's life has been immortalized in the delightful books and movies Cheaper By the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes. Written by his children, Frank Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, these stories detail the life of Frank Sr., Lillian, and their 12 children.