Allen Hazen

Allen Hazen (August 28, 1869 – July 26, 1930) was an American civil engineer and an expert in hydraulics, flood control, water purification and sewage treatment. His career extended from 1888 to 1930, and he is well known for his contributions to hydraulics with the Hazen-Williams equation. Hazen published some of the seminal works on sedimentation and filtration. He was President of the New England Water Works Association and Vice President of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Early life and education

Hazen was born in 1869 on his family farm located near the Connecticut River close to the small town of Norwich, Vermont. He attended the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts (which was affiliated with Dartmouth College) and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree at 15 years of age.

During a year spent at MIT (1887–88), Hazen studied chemistry and came into contact with Professor William T. Sedgwick, Dr. Thomas M. Drown and fellow students George W. Fuller and George C. Whipple.

Career

As a direct result of his association with Dr. Thomas M. Drown, Hazen was offered his first job at the Lawrence Experiment Station in Lawrence, Massachusetts. According to the Government of Massachusetts, LES was one of the first laboratories in the world focused on environmental research and its studies "laid the foundation for modern methods of wastewater treatment and drinking water purification." From 1888 to 1893, Hazen headed the research team at this innovative research institute into water purification and sewage treatment.