Asa White Kenney Billings Asa White Kenney Billings ( February 8 , 1876 – November 3 , 1949 ) was an American hydroelectric engineer and a pioneer of the electrification of Brazil , where he spent nearly all of the last 27 years of his life . He is best remembered today for the Represa Billings ( Billings Reservoir ) , the largest urban reservoir in São Paulo , which he played a large role in creating and bears his name . Born to Albert Stearns Billings and Abbie Althea Billings ( née Park ) in Omaha , Nebraska , Asa Billings attended Omaha High School . At age 14 , he began working part - time at the local electrical plant . He attended Harvard University and received a bachelor ' s degree in 1895 and a master ' s degree in 1896 , being awarded a Bowdoin prize and $ 100 for his senior class dissertation . He married Edna Peabody in New York City on December 17 , 1900 , and their son Asa White Kenney Billings , Jr . was born on September 20 , 1901 . Later in life he was married to Josephine J . Billings , and other children included Mary Warner and John J . After graduating , he worked on electrical projects in many different locations around the world , including Pittsburgh and Cuba , and he worked for Frederick Stark Pearson on projects in Texas and Spain . Upon the entry of the United States into World War I , he joined the civil engineering corps of the US Navy , and for his services received the Navy Cross for " supervision of construction work of naval air stations in Europe " , and the chevalier rank of the Légion d ' honneur . In February 1922 he arrived in Brazil , where he would spend all but the last few months of the rest of his life . He worked for the " Light " company ( Brazilian Traction , Light and Power Company , later known as Brascan ) , which operated the São Paulo Tramway , Light & Power Company , Ltd . and Rio de Janeiro Tramway , Light & Power Company , Ltd . , and set to work creating hydroelectric power projects for the benefit of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro . After some initial projects , beginning in 1927 he planned and oversaw the construction of a dam across the Rio Grande ( today known as the Rio Pinheiros ) in São Paulo . Completed between 1935 and 1937 , it created the 127 km² reservoir ( Represa Billings ) that today bears his name . He continued to work on subsequent phases of this and similar hydroelectric projects , continually adding to the hydroelectric power capacity of both São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro . In 1944 he became president of the " Light " company , retiring in 1946 . He received an honorary electrical engineering degree from Tufts University in 1929 . In 1936 , he was invited to give a lecture to the Institution of Civil Engineers in London on " Water - Power in Brazil " , which was published and used for teaching purposes . In 1947 , he became an honorary member of the American Society of Civil Engineers . In 1946 , he was awarded the commander ( " comendador " ) rank of the Order of the Southern Cross , the highest civilian award given to foreigners by Brazil . On May 12 , 1949 , during a ceremony which he attended , the Represa Rio Grande was renamed Represa Billings in his honor . Soon after , he left Brazil for La Jolla , California , where he died a few months later in November 1949 . The Avenida Engenheiro Billings ( " Engineer Billings Avenue " ) in central São Paulo is named for him .