Col Edward A. Deeds
1874 – 1960
Colonel Edward A. Deeds (1874-1960) was an engineer, inventor, industrial organizer, leader in the fight for flood control of the Miami Valley, and chief of aircraft procurement in a world war. Out of all of these activities, Deeds himself singled out the establishment of the Miami Conservancy District as key, claiming that the system of dams protected half a million people from the ravages of flooding. He served as the first President of the Conservancy District, a position he held for 36 years. Deeds helped Charles Kettering invent the self-starter for automobiles and form the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (DELCO). With Kettering, Deeds built, equipped, and donated the Engineer’s Club of Dayton and purchased land for a public aviation field. He gave Deeds Point to the city and also contributed the Deeds Carillon, along with the Carillon Trust Fund, which helped establish Carillon Park.
