Name John Fanning | Died 1911 | |
 | ||
John Thomas Fanning (1837-1911) was an American architect and hydraulic engineer. His contribution to fluid mechanics and hydraulic engineering is in the Fanning friction factor which is used by engineers in the present age to calculate the frictional pressures losses in flows inside pipes.
Fanning was born in Norwich, Connecticut. In 1861 he enlisted, and participated in the United States Civil War with the rank of colonel, until his discharge. After the war, he returned to Norwich, soon establishing an office for the practice of engineering. In 1872 he moved to Manchester, New Hampshire to design that city's new municipal water system. By 1877 he established a second office as an architect. By 1885 he had begun to get several commissions in the west, warranting a move to Minneapolis. He served in many professional capacities as a hydraulic engineer, including consulting for many railroads.
After his move from Manchester, he did not practice as an architect again.