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Harper, John Bradford, 1855-1908

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1855 - 1908

Biographical Information

John Bradford Harper was the single graduate (in chemistry) of Purdue's first graduating class, in 1875. Harper was born in Fort Madison, Iowa in August 1855. He came to Purdue as a junior with chemistry professor Harvey W. Wiley from Northwestern Christian University of Indianapolis, now known as Butler University. Though a graduate in chemistry, Harper is historically known as a pioneer in civil engineering. Harper's most notable work is the Zuni Dam (at the time, the largest of this type to be constructed), an irrigation project using high-pressure water hoses to blast away the hillsides on either sides of the Zuni River, and then filling the dam with the resulting debris. The dam was a prominent display of engineering skill in its time.

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

The Purdue student newspaper (1875) collection

 Collection — Box: Communal Collections 70, Placement: 3
Identifier: MSP 312
Scope and Contents Includes three issues of The Purdue student newspaper of 1875.
Dates: April 1875 - June 1875