Introduction
Harry W. Hewitt Sr.
Harry W. Hewitt was born in Pennsylvania around 1904. Married to Anna May, he was living in Camden at the time of the 1930 Census, with their son Harry W. Jr., who was born in 1928. He had graduated from Columbia University with Bachelors and Masters of Science degrees in civil engineering. By 1936 he had moved to 1069 Princess Avenue in the Parkside section of Camden.
Employed by the City of Camden in the mid-1930s, Harry Hewitt executed the landscaping and planning of several beautification projects in the city that remain evident today, including Staley Park in Centerville, Alberta Woods Park in East Camden, Pyne Point Park in North Camden, and Fairview Park. He also was involved at Roosevelt Plaza, the beautiful city park that was located in front of City Hall, on the site of the present Parkade Building. Harry Hewitt also did all the engineering surveys for the Federal government’s housing program in the 1930s. In that capacity he was involved in the site selection for the Westfield Acres and Clement T. Branch Village housing projects. Harry Hewitt also designed and supervised the reconstruction of the Farragut Boat Club in Cramer Hill.
In October of 1936 he was appointed to serve as confidential secretary to City Commissioner Frank J. Hartmann Jr., whose was responsible for supervising the 15 bureaus that comprised Camden’s Department of Public Works.
Photos
City Commissioner Frank J. Hartmann, Jr., yesterday appointed Harry W. Hewitt, 1069 Princess avenue, as his confidential secretary, effective at once. The salary is $2100 a year, less the 15 percent “economy” reduction effective on all city salaries.
In a letter to the Civil Service Commission, Hartmann said Hewitt will succeed Miss Tillie Nelson, whose resignation was requested by Hartmann recently when testimony in a civil service hearing revealed she had slapped Miss Roslyn Reiff, clerk in Hartmann’s office, who was dismissed and then reinstated under civil service orders. Miss Nelson is now employed in the city tax office.
Hewitt said his appointment came as a “surprise.”
Hewitt was until last night supervising engineer of the city’s $833,000 parks and beautification program and, in that capacity, executed the landscaping and planning of city hall plaza, Pyne Poynt, Fairview and Staley Parks and Alberta Woods.
He also designed and supervised the reconstruction of the Farragut Boat Club and has drawn the plans now under consideration for a city bus terminal.
‘Had to Have Income’
Though possessing two engineering degrees and numerous other positions of honor in his profession, Hewitt a few short months ago held the comparatively insignificant job of cement rodman in the construction of a city swimming pool.
“Activity in my line was out and I had to have an income of some sort,” Hewitt said smilingly last night while receiving congratulations.
The job required him to handle the steel clips used in concrete work—a manual rather than skilled occupation.
He holds the degrees of bachelor and master of science in civil engineering from Columbia University and said he intends to work next year on his doctor’s degree. He is rated also as a designing engineer in city planning.
He was formerly designing engineer in the county engineer’s office, is president of the Camden Technical Society, chairman of the technical advisory committee of the Engineers’ Club of Camden county, executive director of the Camden County Planning and Housing Association and a member of the American Association of Engineers.
Scout Commissioner
He was for six years district commissioner of the Camden County Council of Boy Scouts of America.
Hewitt also did all the engineering surveys for the entire federal housing program in Camden county, including the selection of the site of Westfield Acres, the new low-cost housing project in East Camden.
He is the father of two children, Billy, 8, and Jean, 6.
In commenting on the appointment, Hartmann said:
“Because the Department of Public Works is primarily an engineering department and because its scope has been so widened, I deemed it necessary to have as a secretary a man who is conversant with engineering terms and practices, so that he may be of great aid to me in the conduct of the 15 bureaus of the department.
“I have been associated professionally with Mr. Hewitt and I have a high regard for him personally and professionally.”