Heiberg, S. John

Born in Viborg, Denmark, in 1880, S. John Heiberg was the son of Dr. P. W. and Minna Heiberg. After completing his education in Denmark, he thoroughly mastered the brewing trade through formal training in Copenhagen and Munich before completing his advanced preparation in Chicago, where he later served as assistant superintendent and brewing master for the Conrad Seipp Brewing Company.

In March 1912, Heiberg moved to Fresno to become the superintendent and master brewer of the Fresno Brewery, the only establishment of its kind operating between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Under his direction, the facility underwent extensive modernizations, including the addition of a full testing laboratory. Married in 1901 to Zenia Schultz—with whom he had three children: Ellie, Asta, and Peter W.—Heiberg was an active member of the Danish Lutheran Church, the Royal Arch Masons, the Elks, the Woodmen of the World, and the Danish Brotherhood.