int endent ▁of ▁schools ▁William ▁D . ▁L ash ▁for ▁exam ination ▁and ▁cert ification . ▁M ers hon ▁was ▁admitted ▁to ▁Ohio ▁State ▁in ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 8 8 6 . ▁His ▁skills ▁being ▁evident , ▁in ▁his ▁senior ▁year ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁student ▁assistant . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 0 ▁he ▁graduated ▁with ▁a ▁degree ▁in ▁mechanical ▁engineering . ▁After ▁gradu ation ▁he ▁was ▁an ▁assistant ▁instruct or ▁in ▁elect rical ▁engineering . ▁Working ▁with ▁altern ating ▁current ▁mach in ery , ▁M ers hon ▁developed ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁wave form ▁measurement . ▁It ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁an ▁instant aneous ▁pot enti ometer ▁method , ▁employ ing ▁ ▁a ▁tele phone ▁receiver ▁to ▁indicate ▁balance . ▁This ▁work ▁attract ed ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁the ▁West ing house ▁Electric ▁Company . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 1 ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁Company ▁in ▁East ▁Pitts burgh , ▁Pennsylvania ▁where ▁he ▁designed ▁transform ers ▁for ▁elect rical ▁power ▁distribution ▁systems . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁he ▁and ▁Charles ▁F . ▁Scott ▁were ▁sent ▁to ▁Tell ur ide , ▁Colorado ▁to ▁carry ▁out ▁experiments ▁on ▁high - vol t age ▁transm issions . ▁Their ▁experiments ▁went ▁up ▁to ▁ 1 3 3 , 0 0 0 ▁vol ts ; ▁they ▁observed ▁cor ona ▁dis charge ▁along ▁the ▁transmission ▁lines . ▁The ▁losses ▁were ▁am el ior ated ▁with ▁th icker ▁w ires ▁and ▁greater ▁separation . ▁To ▁gain ▁experience ▁in ▁the ▁deployment ▁of ▁a ▁power ▁grid , ▁M ers