The Grey Beam- or Bethlehem Beam- was a wide-flange beam invented by Henry Grey that was said to be lighter and stronger than ordinary I-beams. Bethlehem Steel purchased the rights to them in 1905.

Like Texas and taxes, the U.S. steel industry—which last week announced that it expects to produce a record of more than 120 million tons this year—is usually associated with bigness. Eight ...