<P> With an eye toward self - promotion and posterity, Strauss downplayed the contributions of his collaborators who, despite receiving little recognition or compensation, are largely responsible for the final form of the bridge . He succeeded in having himself credited as the person most responsible for the design and vision of the bridge . Only much later were the contributions of the others on the design team properly appreciated . In May 2007, the Golden Gate Bridge District issued a formal report on 70 years of stewardship of the famous bridge and decided to give Ellis major credit for the design of the bridge . </P> <P> The Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District, authorized by an act of the California Legislature, was incorporated in 1928 as the official entity to design, construct, and finance the Golden Gate Bridge . However, after the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the District was unable to raise the construction funds, so it lobbied for a $30 million bond measure . The bonds were approved in November 1930, by votes in the counties affected by the bridge . The construction budget at the time of approval was $27 million . However, the District was unable to sell the bonds until 1932, when Amadeo Giannini, the founder of San Francisco--based Bank of America, agreed on behalf of his bank to buy the entire issue in order to help the local economy . </P> <P> Construction began on January 5, 1933 . The project cost more than $35 million, ($493 million in 2016 dollars) completing ahead of schedule and $1.3 million under budget . The Golden Gate Bridge construction project was carried out by the McClintic - Marshall Construction Co., a subsidiary of Bethlehem Steel Corporation founded by Howard H. McClintic and Charles D. Marshall, both of Lehigh University . </P> <P> Strauss remained head of the project, overseeing day - to - day construction and making some groundbreaking contributions . A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, he placed a brick from his alma mater's demolished McMicken Hall in the south anchorage before the concrete was poured . He innovated the use of movable safety netting beneath the construction site, which saved the lives of many otherwise - unprotected ironworkers . Of eleven men killed from falls during construction, ten were killed on February 17, 1937, when the bridge was near completion when the net failed under the stress of a scaffold that had fallen . The workers' platform that was attached to a rolling hanger on a track collapsed when the bolts that were connected to the track were too small and the amount of weight was too great to bear . The platform fell into the safety net, but was too heavy and the net gave way . Two out of the twelve workers survived the 200 - foot (61 m) fall into the icy waters, including the 37 - year - old foreman, Slim Lambert . Nineteen others who were saved by the net over the course of construction became members of their Half Way to Hell Club . </P>

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