H. J. Brunnier Is Dead at 89
Manning (Iowa) --- Henry J. Brunnier, 89, a native of Manning and a former president of Rotary International, died at his desk in San Francisco, California last Friday, 40 minutes before a sister, Catherine Caroline Brunnier, 87, also died.
Brunnier, who was known throughout the world as an industrial engineer, designed San Francisco's Bay Bridge.
Brunnier was born in Manning, received his early education there and graduated from Iowa State College (now Iowa State University) at Ames. His first engineering project was the Manning water tower.
He last visited Carroll about a year ago when he addressed the local Rotary Club at Tony's restaurant. He returned to Carroll County for the first
time in many years when the Manning Rotary club was chartered in the early 1950s. Subsequently he made several visits to the area. Brunnier's wife,
Ann, who survives, was the original "Rotary Ann."
Note: Henry Brunnier was intrumental in the design of San Francisco's Oakland Bay Bridge and not the Golden Gate Bridge as was listed in the
original obituary.
ENGINEER Brunnier Services Wednesday
Funeral services for Henry John Brunnier, 85, a nationally known
engineer and former international president of Rotary Clubs, will be held at 2
p.m. Wednesday at the N. Gray and Co. Mortuary, Divisadero and Post Streets, San Francisco.
Mr. Brunnier died Friday in the office of his consulting structural engineering firm, H.J. Brunnier and Associates at 55 New Montgomery St., San Francisco.
An expert on earthquake stress, Mr. Brunnier was a member of the five-man consulting board of engineers which did the structural design for the Bay Bridge.
He also was a consultant on the design of the low-level Broadway Tunnel in Oakland and designed such structures in San Francisco as the Russ, Standard Oil, Shell, Federal Reserve, Clift Hotel, Masonic Temple, and Zellerbach Buildings.
He was a construction consultant for the U.S. Army and Navy during World Wars I and II.
In 1956, Mr. Brunnier was honored by the Bay Area Engineers' Week Committee as the year's "outstanding Bay Area engineer" for his contribution to his profession and the welfare of his community.
He joined the San Francisco Rotary Club in 1908, the same year he opened his own engineering office there, and later served as local and international president of the organization.
He and his wife, Ann, had been married for 63 years when she died last year.
Oakland Tribune Oakland, California December 13, 1971
Other
historical facts about Henry Brunnier:
Graduated from Manning High School in 1900
Born: November 26, 1882 in Manning, Iowa
Died: December 10, 1971 in San Francisco, California
Father: Martin J.M. Brunnier
Mother: Caroline Meyer
Wife: Ann Weideman Born: November 26, 1884 Lincoln, Nebraska
Married: October 2, 1905
Henry designed the Manning, Iowa water tower in 1903
The President of Rotary International, Henry J. (Bru) Brunnier was born in Manning, Iowa, and was graduated from Iowa State College. In World War I, he cooperated in organizing and managing the Concrete Ship Department for the U.S. Emergency Fleet Corps. During World War II, he was structural engineer for some of the largest Army and Navy projects on the west coasts of North and Central America.
When the San Francisco Bay Bridge was built, he was a member of the five-man consulting engineers board. He was recently named "The West's Outstanding Engineer" by the Building Industry Conference Board.
Bru has been a member of the San Francisco Rotary Club since 1908 and is a Past President of that club. He has
served Rotary International as Vice-President, District Governor, and Committee Chairman.
The Concordia Sentinel Vidalia, Louisiana November 7, 1952
The ABCs of Rotary
By Cliff Dochterman, 1992-93 President, Rotary International
ROTARY ANNS
In many Rotary clubs throughout the world, wives of male members are affectionately called "Rotary Anns." This designation was never one of
disparagement, but rather grew out of an interesting historical occasion.
The year was 1914 when San Francisco Rotarians boarded a special train to attend the Rotary convention being held in Houston.
In those days few wives attended Rotary events, and until the train stopped in Los Angeles, the only woman aboard was the wife of
Rotarian Bru Brunnier. As the train picked up additional convention-bound delegates, Mrs. Ann Brunnier was introduced as the Rotarian's Ann.
This title soon became "Rotary Ann." Since the clubs of the West were inviting the Rotarians to hold their next convention in San Francisco, a
number of songs and stunts were organized which would be performed in Houston.
One of the Rotarians wrote a "Rotary Ann" chant. On the train's arrival at the Houston depot, a delegation greeted the West Coast Rotarians.
One of the greeters was Guy Gundaker of Philadelphia, whose wife was also named Ann. During the rousing demonstration, someone
started the Rotary Ann chant. The two petite ladies, Ann Brunnier and Ann Gundaker, were hoisted to the men's shoulders and paraded about the hall.
The group loved the title given to the two women named Ann.
Immediately the same term of endearment was used for all of the wives in attendance, and the name "Rotary Ann" was here to stay.
Guy Gundaker became president of Rotary International in 1923 and Bru Brunnier was elected president in 1952. Thus, each of the two original
Rotary Anns became the "first lady of Rotary International."