William Paul Gerhard

William Paul Gerhard (July 30, 1854 – July 8, 1927) was a German-American sanitary engineer.

Early life and education William Paul Gerhard was born in Hamburg, then a free city, on July 30, 1854. He was educated in Alexandria, Egypt, and later on in a gymnasium in Kiel, Germany. He graduated as a civil engineer from the Technical University of Karlsruhe, Baden, in 1875, and served as a volunteer in the Prussian Railroad Regiment, 1875–76, Berlin.

Career He came to the United States in September 1877. He worked under Colonel Henry Flad and under Captain James B. Eads in Saint Louis, 1877–80. He assisted the latter in the preparation of the plates for the History of the St. Louis Bridge. He became chief assistant engineer to Col. George E. Waring, Jr. at Newport, Rhode Island, 1881–83.

Works Gerhard was author of numerous American works on sanitation, house drainage, water supply, fire protection and gas lighting. He also published three German works. Among his larger works are:

Anlagen von Haus-Entwässerungen (Berlin, 1880) Diagram for Sewer Calculations (London and New York, 1882) House-Drainage and Sanitary Plumbing (New York, 1883) Hints on the Drainage and Sewerage of Dwellings (1884) Sanitary Questions (1884) Prinzipien der Haus-Kanalization (Leipzig, 1885) A Guide to Sanitary House-Inspection (New York, 1885) The Prevention of Fire (1886) Notes embodying the Recent Practice in Sanitary Drainage of Buildings (1887) Domestic Sanitary Appliances (Springfield, 1887) The Disposal of Household Wastes (1887)