User:Fatehazannath/Abel Wolman

Abel Wolman (June 10, 1892 – February 22, 1989) was an American engineer, educator, and pioneer of modern sanitary engineering. His extensive professional career left impacts in academia, sanitary engineering research, environmental and public health services, engineering professional societies, and journal publications. Wolman is best known for his research with Linn Enslow in the chlorination of Baltimore's municipal water supply, which has contributed to the distribution of safe municipal water supplies globally.

Early life and Education
Abel Wolman was born to Louis and Rose Wachsman Wolman on June 10, 1892 in Baltimore, Maryland. He was the fourth eldest child of Polish-Jewish immigrants. Wolman received his high school education from the Baltimore City College in 1909. Following his high school education, Wolman received his Bachelor of Arts in 1913 as a pre-med major. Although Wolman was interested in becoming a doctor, his mother's insistence on studying engineering led him to pursue a degree in the field. He then went on to complete a Bachelor of Science in Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University, graduating in 1915 as the fourth person to receive a degree at the newly-established Whiting School of Engineering. Although Wolman did not complete a doctorate degree, his work in the field of sanitary engineering led to him being awarded an honorary Doctor of Engineering in 1937. Wolman was also awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters from the Maryland Institute College of Arts and a Doctor of Law by the Johns Hopkins University in 1969.

Public Health
In 1914, Wolman started his career in public health as an assistant engineer for the United States Public Health Service. In 1922, Wolman became the Chief Engineer of the Maryland State Department of Health, working in the department until 1939. He also held various positions as a consulting engineer for public health organizations, such as the United States Public Health Service and the United States Army Corps of Engineers from 1927 to 1944. He also served as the United States delegate to the International Health Conference from 1946 to 1950.

While working in the public health sector, Wolman conducted research related to sanitation and water quality. One of his research projects was in collaboration with chemist Linn Enslow in 1919, through which he established standardized chlorination of Baltimore's drinking-water supply. This municipal water project was also adapted by public health professional in cities such as New York, Detroit and Columbus.

Academia
In 1937, Wolman was appointed as the Professor of Sanitary Engineering at both the Whiting School of Engineering and the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health. His professorship at these institutions continued until his death. Concurrently, Wolman served as chairman for the Department of Sanitary Engineering until 1962. He was offered the position of Professor Emeritus in 1962, but had no desire to retire, instead continuing to teach and research while serving as a consultant to state departments, public health agencies, and municipalities that requested his advice. As a professor, Wolman was asked to guest lecture at many universities, including Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Southern California, and University of Chicago.

Professional Societies
In 1916, Wolman joined the American Public Health Association as an associate editor of the organization's monthly publication, American Journal of Public Health, where he eventually became the editor between 1955 and 1957. Within the American Public Health Association, Wolman served as the Chairman of the Public Health Engineering Section and Chairman of the Committee on Research and Standards. He was also involved with the American Water Works Association, an organization affiliated with the American Public Health Association, where Wolman served as the editor of the Journal of the American Water Works Association from 1921 to 1937. Eventually, Wolman became the President of the organization in 1942.

Personal life and death
Wolman married Ana Gordon in 1919. Through their marriage, Wolman had one son, named Markley (M.) Gordon Wolman. Maintaining a lively and witty personality, Wolman was favorable amongst many of the students he interacted with as a professor. From colleagues and family members that knew Wolman, he has been described as well-organized and perceptive towards problems and analyses related to his work. Wolman passed away at his home in Baltimore, Maryland on February 22, 1989, aged 96 years old.

"Chlorine Absorption and the Chlorination of Water" (Sept. 1918)
In collaboration with Linn Enslow, Wolman wanted to standardize a chlorination method to purify municipal water supplies. At the time, the purification of water with chlorine was known and employed in cities, but Wolman and Enslow highlighted that the dosage of chlorine used by cities were unreliable. As a result, they concluded that municipal water supplies were often incorrectly purified, leading to increased rate of diseases.

Wolman and Enslow began their experiment by observing the rate of chlorine absorption in water samples that varied in bacterial presence, color, turbidity, oxidizable compounds, and other purity factors. After such observations, Wolman and Enslow proposed a chemical technique to determine the effective disinfection dosage that eliminated bacterial presence in water, which continues to be used in modern municipal water supplies.

"The Metabolism of Cities" (Sept. 1965)
Wolman highlighted three major "metabolic" problems that plagued cities in the United States and offered insight on possible solutions. He defined the metabolic requirements of a city as all materials and commodities needed to sustain its population, including all processes related to the proper removal and disposal of waste products produced in daily life. His research focused on three metabolic problems: lack of an adequate water supply, ineffective disposal of sewage, and poor control of air pollution. Wolman concluded that in order to reach adequate water sanitation, sewage disposal, and elimination of air pollutants, immediate planning of policies and programs are needed to address such issues.

Since the publication of this paper, many studies have been performed to develop viable solutions to tackle the issues proposed by Wolman. For example, in 1999, civil and environmental engineers at the University of California, Berkeley published a research paper that confirmed the presence of water shortages in the United States and advocated for cities to enforce water recycling.

Honors and Awards
In 1948, Wolman was awarded the Sedgwick Memorial Medal by the American Public Health Association for his contributions in the field of public health. In 1960, he was awarded the Albert Lasker Special Award in Public Health, which is an award "for outstanding contributions in research related to diseases which are the main causes of death and disability and for distinguished service in the field of public health administration. In 1967, Wolman was awarded the William Procter Prize for Scientific Achievement for his contributions in the field of science. In 1968, Wolman was awarded the first Lewis L. Dollinger Pure Environment Award. In 1973, Wolman was awarded the Milton Stover Eisenhower Medal. In 1974, Wolman was awarded the National Medal of Science. In 1976, Wolman was awarded the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement and the Ben Gurion Award. Both in 1973 and 1977, Wolman was awarded the American Water Works Association Award. In 1986, Wolman was awarded the Robert E. Horton Medal and the John Wesley Powell Award. Finally, in 1999, The Baltimore Sun named Wolman "Marylander of the Century". In regards to professional societies, Wolman was awarded with honorary memberships in the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Academy of Environmental Engineers, the Water Pollution Control Federation, the American Water Resources Association, the American Academy of Environmental Engineers, the Franklin Institute, and the Technion of Haifa Board of Directors.

Academic and Social Tributes
Following the death of Wolman, multiple tributes were created in his honor. For individuals that work in the water industry, the American Water Works Association annually presents the Abel Wolman Award of Excellence since 1985. In May of 1966, the Johns Hopkins University named a newly acquired dormitory Wolman Hall, which continues to house first year students. In 1986, the City of Baltimore renamed its public works building to the Abel Wolman Municipal Building, honoring his years of service to the city. Today, the Abel Wolman Municipal Building is where citizens of Baltimore come to pay their property taxes, parking fines and metered water bills.