William Mulholland | |
|---|---|
 Mulholland in 1924 | |
| Born | William Mulholland September 11, 1855 Belfast, Ireland |
| Died | July 22, 1935 (aged 79) Los Angeles, California, US |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Glendale, California |
| Citizenship | British/Irish,[1][2] American |
| Education | O'Connell school |
| Occupation | Civil engineer |
| Years active | 1878–1929 |
| Employer | Bureau of Water Works and Supply |
| Known for | Building the water system of Los Angeles |
| Successor | Harvey Van Norman |
| Spouse |
Lillie Ferguson (m. 1890) |
William Mulholland (September 11, 1855 – July 22, 1935) was an Irish American self-taught civil engineer who was responsible for building the infrastructure to provide a water supply that allowed Los Angeles to grow into the largest city in California. As the head of a predecessor to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Mulholland designed and supervised the building of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, a 233-mile-long (375 km) system to move water from Owens Valley to the San Fernando Valley. The creation and operation of the aqueduct led to the disputes known as the California Water Wars. In March 1928, Mulholland's career came to an end when the St. Francis Dam failed just over 12 hours after he and his assistant gave it a safety inspection.