John B. Leonard

John Buck Leonard (1864–1945) was a pioneering bridge engineer and architect, early advocate for reinforced concrete, working mainly in northern California.

From 1889 he was employed there doing iron and steel engineering for various firms, including the Southern Pacific Railroad.

[1] Even in the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, resistance to fireproof reinforced concrete was strong.

Leonard's analyses of concrete's superior performance in the earthquake and fire, especially Ernest L. Ransome's two buildings at Stanford University, and a constant stream of his articles and editorials in Architect and Engineer of California, changed the city's ordinances and gained national attention.

Together they produced the pamphlet The Concrete Bridge, showing examples and analyses of Leonard's work.