His parents were Michael Johann Haas (1840-1889), from the nearby village of Vielbrunn, and Albertina Brand (1844-1899), from Kleinheubach in Bavaria.

On August 26, 1900, 26-year-old Philip Haas married 23-year-old Catherine "Katie" Steiger at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Dayton.

However, Haas' efforts, perhaps more so than those of any other one person, helped transform the toilet from a notoriously unreliable device into the modern commode.

That is because, over the next few decades, frost-free toilets faded into obscurity as sanitary facilities were moved within the envelopes of heated buildings.

The key feature was a ring that, through downward pointing perforations, discharged multiple jets of water beneath the rim of the bowl.

On June 5, 1924 he submitted a patent application for a hydraulic flush valve with many similarities to commercial fixtures in use today.

Haas' designs in this area have been cited in numerous patent applications over the intervening years.

From 1924 forward, Haas focused almost exclusively on improving the internal workings of the water closet for toilets in homes and light commercial settings.

He incorporated under the Philip Haas Company, and moved his operations into a substantial facility at 123 North Webster Street in Dayton.

Haas' factory was severely damaged in the Great Dayton Flood of March, 1913, which inundated and destroyed large portions of the city.

"[5] On September 30, 1927, after a two-week illness, Philip Haas died at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Dayton of cardiac hypertrophy.