Los
Angeles County
Biographies
GERALD CHAPMAN FITZGERALD
Gerald C. FitzGerald, well known
consulting engineer of Los Angeles, has been a resident of this city for more
than a quarter of a century. He was born
in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, October 14, 1888, his parents being James Gerald
and Mary Carrie (Chapman) FitzGerald, who crossed the border into the United
States in the early ‘90s. In the year
1907 the family came to Los Angeles, California. James Gerald FitzGerald, the father of our
subject, was identified with railroad development in both Canada and the United
States. He and his wife came to Los
Angeles in 1907 and both died here.
Gerald FitzGerald pursued his
studies in the public schools of Birmingham, Alabama, graduating from the high
school. He then took a private course in
engineering and attended an engineering school in Alabama. He followed his profession and was a member
of the Engineer Officers Reserve Corps of the United States Army and when the
government declared war with Germany, he was ordered into active service and
sent to the engineering school at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Upon completing his course, he was assigned
to the Three hundred nineteenth Engineers, Eighth Division, United
States Army and saw active service in the United Sates and with the American
Expeditionary Force in France with the rank of captain. He was honorably discharged at the signing of
the Armistice. In 1907, he took up his
residence in Los Angeles and has followed his profession with success ever
since. He is serving his third year on the
Board of Harbor Commissioners and was its vice president in 1932-33. He is a member of the American Association of
Port Authorities, is vice president of the Los Angeles section of the American
Society of Civil Engineers, also a member of the American Water Works
Association and the Society of American Military Engineers and has membership
in the Engineers Club of Los Angeles.
Mr. FitzGerald specializes in hydraulic engineering and has done
important harbor work.
In 1922 Mr. FitzGerald was united in
marriage to Miss Bernice E. Taylor, who was born in Salem, Oregon, reared in
Los Angeles, and attended Stanford University.
They are the parents of three children, namely: Gerald James, Donald Frank and Mary Ellen.
In his political views Mr.
FitzGerald is a Republican. He still
holds a commission as captain of reserves in the Corps of Engineers. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Masons,
holding membership in Sunset Lodge, No. 352, F. & A. M. and is a member of
Post No. 8, American Legion. His
favorite forms of recreation are tennis, horseback riding and camping in the
high Sierras.
Transcribed by
V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: California of the South
Vol. IV, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 17-18, Clarke Publ.,
Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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