Carl Ewald Grunsky (1855-1934) Civil Engineer

Biographical Sketch, by Sharon Landwehr, Archives Volunteer

Carl Ewald Grunsky was born in San Joaquin County, California (4 Apr 1855). After graduating from high school, Grunsky continued his education in Germany, attending Realschule, Stuttgart (1872-1874), and graduating from Polytechnikum, Stuttgart (1874-1877). He received the degree of Doctor of Engineering from these schools in 1924 and 1910 respectively.

After returning to California he first worked as a topographer on a river surveying party with the State Engineering Department of California (1878). He continued working with the Department until his departure as assistant state engineer in 1888. Grunsky was a member of the Examining Commission on Rivers and Harbors of California (1889-1890). He continued in private practice while assisting the San Francisco Sewage Commission (1892-1893), as consulting engineer to the Commissioner of Public Works of California (1893-1894), San Francisco City Engineer (1900-1904), member of the Isthmian Canal Commission (1904-1905), consulting engineer with the U.S. Reclamation Service (1905-1907), and consulting engineer for New York and San Francisco.

Grunsky was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (Norman Medal, 1910; Vice President, 1922-1923; President, 1924), the Pacific Coast Technology Society, the Commonwealth Club of California (President, 1920), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (President of the Pacific Division, 1924). He was elected a resident member of the California Academy of Sciences (1896), served on the Board of Trustees (1898-1904), Acting Director (1932-1933), and was the Academy's President from 1912 until his death (9 January1934).

Sources Consulted:

California Academy of Sciences Index for the Manuscript Collection

Index cards for California Academy of Sciences Staff and Members

Who's Who in California 1928-1929, p.282

Theodore Henry Hittell's CAS 1853-1906

Who's Who in America 1934-1935, p.1029