hiː bɪkˌeɪm ɐ lˈɛktʃɚɹɚɹ æt ðə dᵻpˈɑːɹtmənt ʌv ˌɛndʒɪnˈɪɹɪŋ, jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv ˈɛdɪnbʌɹə, jˌuːkˈeɪ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi nˈaɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti sˈɛvən bᵻfˌoːɹ bᵻkˈʌmɪŋ pɹəfˈɛsɚɹ ʌv stɹˈʌktʃɚɹəl ænd sˈɪvəl ˌɛndʒɪnˈɪɹɪŋ æt nɔːɹθwˈɛstɚn jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi, ˌɪlənˈɔɪ, jˌuːˌɛsˈeɪ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti sˈɛvən nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti wˈʌn.
He became a lecturer at the Department of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, UK (1949–1957) before becoming Professor of Structural and Civil Engineering at Northwestern University, Illinois, USA (1957–1961).