18 Facts About Allen Hazen

Allen Hazen was an American civil engineer and an expert in hydraulics, flood control, water purification and sewage treatment.

Allen Hazen's career extended from 1888 to 1930, and he is, perhaps, best known for his contributions to hydraulics with the Hazen-Williams equation.

Allen Hazen was President of the New England Water Works Association and Vice President of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Allen Hazen was born in 1869 on his family farm located near the Connecticut River close to the small town of Norwich, Vermont.

Allen Hazen attended the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree at 15 years of age.

From 1888 to 1893, Allen Hazen headed the research team at this innovative research institute into water purification and sewage treatment.

In 1908, Hazen was appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt to a panel of expert engineers to inspect the construction progress on the Panama Canal with President-elect William H Taft.

Allen Hazen specifically reported on the soundness of the Gatun Dam, which he said was constructed of the proper materials and not in any danger of failure.

Late in his career, Allen Hazen concentrated on ways to statistically describe the recurrence interval of flood flows in rivers.

At the age of 24, Allen Hazen was charged with the responsibility for sewage collection and disposal for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and Columbian Exposition.

Allen Hazen was hired by a joint committee established to find a solution to the regional water contamination problem.

Allen Hazen's recommendations included a trunk sewer to capture wastes prior to their discharge into the River and to deliver the wastes to a sewage treatment plant near the mouth of the River.

For most of his career, Allen Hazen was a consulting engineer to many municipalities and other clients.

In 1897, Allen Hazen opened up a single person practice in New York City and for a couple of years, shared the same address as one of his professional colleagues, George W Fuller at 220 Broadway.

Allen Hazen's clients included Albany, New York; New York City; Washington, DC; San Francisco, California; Lawrence and Springfield, Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; St Louis, Missouri, Brisbane, Australia; and Ottawa and Toronto, Canada.

For many years, Allen Hazen lived in New York City.

Allen Hazen was President of the New England Water Works Association and Vice President of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Allen Hazen received honorary degrees of Doctor of Science from both New Hampshire College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts and Dartmouth College.