Master builders who dig tunnels and subways, construct bridges and highways, these dedicated workers are known as The Moles.
They gamble their fortunes and reputations against the challenges they meet. Often working underground, they change the face of the Earth, building dams, highways, tunnels, bridges. They are defined as heavy construction workers.
In October 1936, a small group of these men who had worked together between 1914 and 1919 on projects under Newark Bay and on the waterfront at Port Newark held a reunion in Jersey City. They had such a wonderful time reminiscing about their experiences and discussing their work that they were inspired to form a permanent organization. On that autumn evening, what was to become the most prestigious heavy construction group in the world was born.
A special committee met in 1937 to set up the guidelines. The Moles was selected as an appropriate name, membership would include all members of the engineering and contracting professions and those supplying materials to the field, and the venue would be moved to New York City. In January 1938, the 32 original members and their guests attended the first Moles dinner. A fraternal spirit was created that has become a hallmark of the group.
Later that year, the group held its first annual clambake, a special event that continues on the grounds of the New York Athletic Club at Travers Island in Pelham, New York. The year 1941 marked the creation of an esteemed awards program that annually recognizes outstanding achievements in heavy construction by two men—one a Moles member and one a nonmember. The first member recipient was John S. “Jack” Macdonald, cited for his enterprise and courage, notably in building the Queens Midtown Tunnel. After a disastrous fire while the tunnel was under construction, Jack set out in a rowboat in a partially flooded tunnel to survey the damage. The first nonmember to be honored was Robert Moses, a master builder who was the guiding force in creating the system of recreational areas, parkways, bridges, and highways of Greater New York. In 1950, the nonmember awardee was former President Herbert Hoover, who was labeled the “Grand Old Mole” for his engineering expertise.
To encourage young people to consider heavy construction as a career, The Moles in 1956 conducted a seminar for college engineering undergraduates. Its success encouraged the members to initiate a regular education program. Each spring they host a field trip to a major heavy construction project, where students from participating schools don hardhats to see firsthand the work in progress. In 2018, students descended 15 stories beneath Grand Central Terminal; in 2019, they visited the LIRR third-track expansion; and in 2020, they toured the Boston Spring Line extension. The Moles also present an annual cash award to a student selected by each of the schools who has demonstrated the most aptitude and interest in heavy construction.
In a further effort to induce the best young engineers to give up comfortable careers in such fields as electronics and “come wallow around in the mud with us,” the organization in 1996 established The Moles Scholarship Fund in The Trust, which provides scholarships to civil engineering students attending participating colleges and universities.
As membership in The Moles grew from the original 32 to about 800 today, the organization became highly respected, not only for its awards and programs, but also for its interest in raising the standards of the construction industry in both engineering and business ethics. All over the country, The Moles are involved in major construction projects.
And The Moles continue to play an important role for New Yorkers, all of whom have a special obligation to salute the work of the city’s intrepid engineers. Where would the city be without its skyscrapers, tunnels, bridges, and subways?
For a current list of colleges and universities participating in The Moles’ scholarship program, visit their website, themoles.net.