Bloodgood, Donald E. (Donald Evans), 1903-1985

Dates

• Existence: February 1, 1903 - February 19, 1985

Biographical Information

Donald E. Bloodgood, civil engineer, professor, author, editor, and administrator, was born on February 1, 1903 in Elkhorn, Wisconsin to Erwin and Anna Bloodgood. The family owned and operated Peck's Station country store and a small adjoining farm. He earned a BS in Civil Engineering in 1926 and a CE degree in 1935 from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. After graduating in 1926 Bloodgood started his career as a research chemist with the Milwaukee Sewage Commission, where he worked until 1929. His work included routine laboratory testing in the monitoring of the sewage treatment operation, water surveys of Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee Harbor, and public relations. Bloodgood then worked as a research chemist and civil engineer for the Indianapolis Sanitary District. By 1936 he was the superintendent of the Indianapolis Sanitary District and remained in that position until 1943.  After his arrival in Indianapolis he became a prolific author of technical papers.

In 1943, Bloodgood was invited to join the Purdue University faculty by Professor R. B. Wiley as an associate professor. He was given the task of developing a sanitary engineering program that would make Purdue a world leader in that field. Bloodgood was promoted to full professor in 1947 for his efforts. As part of his Extension work he published the Sanitary Engineering Newsletter (later renamed the Environmental Engineering News) from 1943 until his retirement from Purdue in 1971, and he was the first editor of the serial Industrial Wastes which began in 1955. Bloodgood started the Purdue Industrial Waste Conference 1944. Known as the Industrial Waste Utilization Conference in its first year, Bloodgood's intention was to bring together academia, industry, government, and the engineering profession to study issues surrounding industrial waste management. Bloodgood edited the Proceedings of the conference during this lifetime. The conference ceased in 1997.

Active in professional societies, Bloodgood served as president of the Central States Sewage Works Association, was founder and first president of the Indiana Water Pollution Control Association (later known as the Indiana Water Environment Association), and served as a direct-at-large for the Water Pollution Control Federation (since 1991 the Water Environment Federation). He also served as president of the Indiana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers and was on the advisory committee of the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission.

In 1945, he was appointed to the Indiana State Board of Health and continued in that position until 1979. In this capacity he helped institute and implement regulations concerned with pollution control, as well as nutrition, nursing homes, and sanitary engineering. Bloodgood was also active in the community through his involvements with the Kiwanis International, Boy Scouts, and as a hospital volunteer. For his public service he was twice named a Sagamore-of-the-Wabash by Indiana governors.

The Purdue University School of Civil Engineering established the annual Donald E. Bloodgood Memorial Award in 1987 to recognize an outstanding senior and an outstanding graduate student majoring in environmental engineering.

Citation:

First meeting of the 1985-1986 Purdue University Senate, September 23, 1985. pgs. 17-18. UA 8, Purdue University Faculty and Senate records, Purdue University Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries. https://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/digital/collection/ua8/id/9163

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