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Memorial Tributes: Volume 3 (1989)

Chapter: George John Schroepfer

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Suggested Citation:"George John Schroepfer." National Academy of Engineering. 1989. Memorial Tributes: Volume 3. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1384.
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Page 304
Suggested Citation:"George John Schroepfer." National Academy of Engineering. 1989. Memorial Tributes: Volume 3. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1384.
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Page 305
Suggested Citation:"George John Schroepfer." National Academy of Engineering. 1989. Memorial Tributes: Volume 3. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1384.
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Page 306
Suggested Citation:"George John Schroepfer." National Academy of Engineering. 1989. Memorial Tributes: Volume 3. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1384.
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Page 307
Suggested Citation:"George John Schroepfer." National Academy of Engineering. 1989. Memorial Tributes: Volume 3. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1384.
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Page 308
Suggested Citation:"George John Schroepfer." National Academy of Engineering. 1989. Memorial Tributes: Volume 3. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1384.
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Page 309

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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

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

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

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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