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Falmouth Forum Series 2009-2010
"The Big Dig or Big Pig?"
March 5 2010 - Lillie Auditorium, 7:30 PM
Lectures are free and open to the public.
Dan McNichol, award-winning author of The Big Dig and The Roads That Built America
Lecture Abstract
The Big Dig or Big Pig? What cost more than the Panama Canal (even when adjusted for inflation), consumed more concrete than the Hoover Dam but is green all over? Learn the good, bad and ugly of this largest project ever from award winning and two time best selling Dan McNichol. Among the many books he has written, The Big Dig, The Roads That Built America, and Paving the Way: Asphalt in America have earned him critical acclaim and international recognition. The University of Pennsylvania Press published McNichol’s recent work in a book titled, A Legacy of Leadership. Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush have praised the book for its contribution to educating the nation on gubernatorial politics.
Dan McNichol is also an award-winning journalist. In 2003, the American Society of Civil Engineers named him as one of nation’s outstanding journalists. That same year, he was honored with the degree of Doctor of Engineering Technology from Wentworth Institute of Technology, which cited his publications and their outstanding contributions to the fields of engineering and construction. In 2008, McNichol received the prestigious Robert F. Boger Award for his work chronicling Minnesota’s disastrous I-35W bridge collapse. His articles and work have appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and many other periodicals. McNichol is a correspondent to Roads & Bridges magazine, where his articles appear regularly.
McNichol’s television and radio credits include numerous appearances on The Discovery Channel, The History Channel, ABC World News Tonight, CBS News, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, The News Hour, National Public Radio, and many other news programs. He has consulted for National Geographic and the BBC.
Driving his research vehicle, a 1951 Hudson, McNichol has logged over 30,000 miles and made four transcontinental journeys. In 2006, McNichol’s Hudson led a reenactment of President Dwight Eisenhower’s 1919 U.S. Army expedition between Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. McNichol’s old car led the convoy over the Oakland Bay Bridge in what was described as the largest media event in the nearly 100-year history of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
Today, McNichol travels the world speaking about the triumphs and challenges of engineering and construction while continuing his writing. On the speaking circuit, he has gained a reputation as a top-rated talent. He welcomes your comments at dan@danmcnichol.com.
Admission to this Falmouth Forum presentation is free and open to the public. A buffet dinner is available before the lecture at 6:00 p.m. in the Swope Center located near the auditorium. Dinner tickets are $25 and must be purchased in advance at either Eight Cousins Children’s Books, Main Street, Falmouth, or at the MBL’s Communications Office in the Candle House in Woods Hole. Dinner seats are limited and tickets are only available until they sell out or until 5:00 on the Tuesday before the lecture. For more information, contact the MBL Communications Office at: (508) 289-7423 or
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