A Renaissance Man

Charles Legg in 2015 in Shirt and Tie

According to the Webster Dictionary, a renaissance man is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. I believe that accurately describes me in a few words as my expertise spans the areas of electronics, mechanics, science, information technology, photography, videography, philosophy, and writing. I am a professional technologist, a career firefighter, a life-long learner, and an educator.

My strength is an extensive technical understanding; my passion is learning, doing, and teaching.  That is what I am today, but how did I get here?

Born in 1948, I am the leading-edge of the baby-boomer generation, who has witnessed science fiction's promises bloom into a reality that few believed could exist. I have seen men and women going into and living in outer space, the landing of men on the moon, the cure of devastating diseases such as polio, and world communications that could be described as magical. Yet, I am disappointed that war, poverty, and racism still exists in our world.

My interest in science and technology came early to me, mostly from watching television shows such as Watch Mr. Wizard, The Bell Laboratories' Science Series with Dr. Frank Baxter, and science specials on The Wonderful World of Walt Disney. I also enjoyed reading any book on science or how things worked. This may explain why I disassembled so many electrical and mechanical gizmos by the age of eight.

There have been many events, some planned, others unexpected, which has brought me to where I am today. Many people in my life have knowingly or unknowingly made me into what I have become. At times it feels as if it has been a long journey, yet other times, just a blink of an eye.

I have done and worked under many names; among them, I have been: a tinkerer, newspaper carrier, amateur astronomer, stage crew manager, printer, graphic designer, lecturer, experimenter, teacher, husband, father, broadcast engineer, recording studio engineer, electronics and electrical technician, electrician, mechanic, plumber, computer programmer, firefighter, airplane pilot, small business owner, I.T. coordinator, writer, two-way radio tech, computer technician, project manager, politician, photographer; and most likely half a dozen other things that I cannot remember.

Welcome to my website, Charles Legg, A Renaissance Man.  I hope you will find it interesting, educational, entertaining, insightful, and at times funny.

The Ideal Engineer

The ideal engineer is a composite. He is not a scientist, he is not a mathematician, he is not a sociologist or a writer; but he may use the knowledge and techniques of any or all of these disciplines in solving engineering problems.

Nathan Dougherty