Albert Vander Naillen Jr 1908

Description:
Portrait of Albert Vander Naillen, Jr. (1858-1956), from a prospectus of the A. Vander Naillen School of Practical Engineering. Albert Vander Naillen, Jr., a licensed engineer, actor, and community leader, was the son of Albert Vander Naillen, Sr., founder of the A. Vander Naillen School of Practical Engineering, located on the west side of Telegraph Avenue at 51st Street, Temescal district, Oakland, Calif.

Date of Document:
1908

Document Author:
Unknown

Geographic Location:
Telegraph Avenue and 51st Street, Oakland, Calif.

Context:
The Vander Naillen School of Practical Engineering was founded by Albert Vander Naillen, Sr. (1830-1928) in 1867 back east. It subsequently moved to Chicago; then to San Francisco following the great Chicago fire of 1871, and finally to Oakland after the school was destroyed in the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906. ". . . His family occupied a two-story home at 51st Street and Lawton Avenue. That was in 1875. It was the first modern home built in Temescal, according to old-timers. With his son, the late Edward Vander Naillen, he brought the Vander Naillen School of Engineering to Temescal in 1906 from San Francisco where it had opened in 1872. The Alden Library and Improvement Club dedicated a drinking fountain and stone bench to Edward Vander Naillen in 1932 for his outstanding civic work. Albert Vander Naillen, Jr., now 94 years old and living in San Mateo, . . . (f)or 20 years was chief civil engineer for Alameda County. . . . In his early life . . . 'Al' Vander Naillen Jr. was a professional parachute jumper, a balloonist . . . and he also followed the footlights as actor and musician." [From the October 23, 1952 issue of the Oakland Telegraph]