Abel Wolman (June 10, 1892 February 22, 1989) was an American inventor, scientist,

professor and pioneer of modern sanitary engineering. His work in supplying clean water
spanned eight decades.
Contents
1 Background
2 List of Honors
3 References
4 External links
Background
Wolman was born, grew up, was educated, lived and died in Baltimore, Maryland. He
graduated from the Baltimore City College in 1909, got a B.A. from the Johns Hopkins
University in 1913 and then a B.S. in engineering from Hopkins in 1915. From 1914 to
1939, Wolman worked for the Maryland State Department of Health, serving as Chief
Engineer from 1922 to 1939. It was during his early years there that he made his most
important contribution. Working in cooperation with chemist Linn Enslow, he standardized
the methods used to chlorinate Baltimore's drinking-water supply. His efforts there helped
develop the plan for Baltimore's water supply so thoroughly and effectively that it remains
well-provided for growth through the 21st century. His work also benefited water systems
in New York, Detroit and Columbus, Ohio. A collection of his writings has been published:
Water, Health and Society, Selected Papers.
[1]

Wolman served as the Chairman of the Advisory Council for planning Israel's National
Water Carrier project (1950-1956).
[2]

Wolman taught for many years on the faculty of Johns Hopkins University, where he
established the Department of Sanitary Engineering in 1937. He served as the department's
chairman until his official retirement in 1962.
[3]
In May, 1966 the university named a newly
acquired dormitory Wolman Hall in his honor.
[4]

Wolman became Editor of the American Water Works Association's Journal AWWA in
1919 and was responsible for making it into a monthly publication in 1924. The
Association presents the Abel Wolman Award of Excellence each year to recognize those
whose careers in the water works industry exemplify vision, creativity, and excellent
professional performance characteristic of Wolman's long and productive career.
In 1986, the City of Baltimore renamed its public works building, the Abel Wolman
Municipal Building, honoring his years of service to the city.
[3]
Today, the Abel Wolman
building is where citizens of Baltimore come to pay their property taxes, parking fines and
metered water bills.[2]
Wolman's son, M. Gordon "Reds" Wolman, was an eminent geomorphologist who was also
on the faculty of Johns Hopkins University. M. Gordon Wolman was a member of the
National Academy of Sciences and an expert on water resources, public health, and
geography. Reds was the founder and for 20 years the Chairman of the Department of
Geography and Environmental Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University.
[5]
He was also
known for inventing a technique for evaluating grain-size distribution in riverbeds, known
as the Wolman Pebble Count,
[6]
which has helped geomorphologist to understand flooding,
sedimentation, and other physical impacts to a stream.
[5]