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GEORGE JOHN SCHROEPFER
1906-1984
BY JOSEPH T. LING
GEORGE JOHN SCHROEPFER, a pioneering leader in the de-
sign and management of wastewater treatment and disposal
systems and professor emeritus of sanitary engineering in
the Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering at the Uni-
versity of Minnesota, died in Minneapolis on March Il.
1984.
George Schroepfer was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on
September 7, 1906. He graduated in March 1928 with a B.S.
in civil engineering from the University of Minnesota. An
M.S. followed in June 1930, and a professional civil engi-
neering degree was awarded in June 1932. Schroepfer began
studies for a Ph.D., but he was soon sidetracked by an excep-
tional opportunity and the challenge to play a key role in the
development of major (capital costs of $16 million in 1933)
new sewage treatment facilities for the Minneapolis/St. Paul
· .
metropo ltan region.
In November 1933 he accepted the position as assistant
chief engineer for the Minneapolis/St. Paul Sanitary District
(now the Metropolitan Waste Control Commission) and was
assigned responsibility for the design and construction of
these new facilities. In June 1938 he was appointed chief en-
gineer and superintendent of the Sanitary District.
These official duties notwithstanding, George Schroepfer
maintained an active involvement with the University of Min-
C, 1 ~
305
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306
.
MEMORIAL TRIBUTES
nesota and with sanitary engineering education. In Septem-
ber 1945 he accepted an appointment as professor of sani-
tary engineering in the Civil Engineering Department of the
University of Minnesota. Research laboratories were quickly
established, and graduate students from around the world
arrived to study under Professor Schroepfer's direction. In
addition, the University of Minnesota quickly became recog-
nized as a leader in sanitary engineering research education.
Recognition of the exceptional academic and professional
talents of George Schroepfer came early. As a senior-year
undergraduate student, he was admitted to the national
honor societies of Chi Epsilon and Tau Beta Pi and received
the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Northwest-
ern Section Senior Student Award. In 1932 he was admitted
to Sigma Xi. Ten years later, George Schroepfer was elected
president of the Water Pollution Control Federation; in 1943
he became president of the Northwest Section of ASCE.
He was a consultant to the National War Production Board
from 1942 to 1945 and in the postwar years was in great
demand as a consultant to companies both in the United
States and abroad. His services were especially sought by de-
veloping countries and by such agencies as the Pan American
Health Organization, the World Bank, the Inter-American
Development Bank, and the U.S. Agency for International
Development.
Professor Schroepfer devoted much of his effort to tech-
nical and professional societies and received a number of
medals and awards in recognition of his contributions. In-
cluded among his honors are the Rudolf Hering Medal of
the American Society of Civil Engineers (1945) and the
George Warren Fuller Award of the American Water Works
Association ~ ~ 9571.
Beginning in 1947 with the William D. Hatfield Award, he
received almost every award and medal of the Water Pollu-
tion Control Federation, including the Arthur Sidney Bedell
Award in 1955; the Harrison Prescott Eddy Medal (1956~;
the Radebaugh Award of Central States Water Pollution
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GEORGE JOHN SCHROEPFER
307
Control Association, a constituent association (19654; the
Charles Alvin Emerson Medal (19681; the Thomas R. Camp
Meclal (19704; the Gordon Maskew Fair Medal (1976~; and
the William I. Orchard Medal (1977~. In 1983 the Central
States Water Pollution Control Association established the
George I. Schroepfer Award to honor exceptional contribu-
tions of members to the field! of water pollution control, and
Professor Schroepfer was the first recipient of this award.
The Brazilian Section of the Inter-American Association
of Sanitary Engineers, the Water Pollution Control Federa-
tion, and ASCE all elected Professor Schroepfer an honorary
member. These ant! other such awards, a long list of publi-
cations and consulting reports, and his memberships, both
regular and honorary, in many professional organizations,
are eloquent testimonials to a most distinguished and pro-
cluctive professional career. In 1981 George Schroepfer was
elected a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engi-
neering, the highest professional recognition accorded an
engineer by his or her peers and an honor reserved for a
very select few in the worIct engineering community.
Throughout his active professional career, Professor
Schroepfer made many outstanding contributions to the
field! of environmental (sanitary) engineering, ranging from
scientific research to professional practice. Particularly note-
worthy was his pioneering research work on the anaerobic
contact process for treating wastewaters having a high con-
centration of organic matter. His technical publications in
the areas of economics, financing, and charges for waste-
water collection ant! treatment systems were unique; he truly
"bridged the gap" between research and practice.
The sanitary engineer, through the introduction of safe
public drinking water supplies and wastewater treatment fa-
cilities, has clone more (luring the past 150 years to raise life
expectancy worIclwide than any other professional. George
Schroepfer was aware of these contributions and was also
profoundly concerned that a large part of the worIct still suf-
fered from a lack of these basic needs. He can take comfort
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308
MEMORIAL TRIBUTES
from the fact that the many students who came to learn from
him, who came from all corners of the globe, are now them-
seIves pursuing the same objectives and thus multiplying his
effectiveness.
~ became acquainted with Professor Schroepfer in 194S,
when ~ became his first Ph.D. student at the University of
Minnesota. Those who were privileged to know George
Schroepfer quickly recognized a man of resolution, cleter-
mination, and independence; a commanding figure and nat-
ural leacler attributes that certainly helped him toward suc-
cess in his long professional career. Less immediately visible
were his deep and abiding humanitarian concern for others
ant] the wit and charm with which he endeared himself to his
colleagues, especially his students.
Undoubtectly, George Schroepfer will be missed. Recently,
those who were associated with him resolved collectively to
equip a conference center, in the newly constructed] Civil and
Mineral Engineering Building at the University of Minne-
sota, to be named in Professor Schroepfer's honor. This rep-
resents one small way to remember this outstanding man, his
good work, and his influence.
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Representative terms from entire chapter:
water pollution
