Lloyd Aldrich was to be City Engineer for 22 years, longer than any City Engineer before or since he took the office, because during his tenure in that position it was given Civil Service status by Charter Amendment.

He was born in Marion, Kansas in 1886 and when but three months old his parents moved to Los Angeles. He was orphaned at 12 and went to live with an older brother in Colorado.

After being graduated from the University of Illinois, he again traveled west to work on engineering projects in Colorado, Northern California and in Los Angeles. As a young man he was a hunting partner of President Teddy Roosevelt.

He was appointed Chief Deputy City Engineer on August 3, 1933 and four weeks later became City Engineer on August 31, 1933. Among his major accomplishments were construction of the Hyperion Sewage Treatment Plant, 400 bridges throughout the city, and design of a $100 million beach expansion project. Under him also began the Greater Los Angeles Freeway construction program after World War 11.

He was also one of the founders of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Depression of the 1930's, and was an early leader in the fight against smog in Los Angeles.

After, he left City service he was active in private consulting work. During his tenure as City Engineer he was sometimes at odds with other city officials and unsuccessfully sought to unseat former Mayor Fletcher Bowron in the San Fernando Valley where he had lived for many years.

He died in July, 1967 at the age of 81.