R. S. (Rock) Howard, Jr. served as the director for the Georgia Water Quality Control Board and the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources and was instrumental in Georgia's struggle against air and water pollution from 1964-1974. Howard was a native of Savannah, Georgia and attended both Clemson University and Harvard University and earned a masters degree in sanitary engineering. Following his service in the military during World War II, Howard worked for both the Georgia Health Department and the U.S. Health Department before accepting a job as a public works superintendent in Albany, Georgia in 1946. After nineteen years of working in Albany, Georgia, Howard joined the Water Quality Control Board in 1964 and was responsible for carrying out programs to protect the environment and citing those who failed to meet state standards. Howard retired from public service in 1974, but continued to work as a consultant to the Department of Natural Resources until his death in 1977. The Georgia Water Quality Control Board was established in 1964 as a result of the Georgia Water Quality Control Act. This board was responsible for water pollution and abatement in Georgia. In 1971, the Georgia Water Quality Control Board was reorganized into the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources and assumed responsibility over the protection of Georgia's air, land and water resources through the authority of state and federal environmental statutes. These laws regulated both private and public facilities in regards to air and water quality, water supply, waste management, surface mining and other environmental issues.
From the description of R. S. Howard records of the Georgia Water Quality Control Board, 1966-1977. (Georgia Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 297520323
