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Stephen Davison Bechtel | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 24, 1900 Aurora, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | 14 March 1989(1989-03-14) (aged 88) Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Mountain View Cemetery Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2, includingStephen Jr. |
| Father | Warren A. Bechtel |
| Relatives | Kenneth K. Bechtel (brother) |
Stephen Davison Bechtel (September 24, 1900 – March 14, 1989)[1] was the son of Clara Alice West andWarren A. Bechtel, founder of theBechtel Corporation. He was the president of the company from 1933 to 1960.
Stephen Davison Bechtel was born on September 24, 1900, inAurora, Indiana toWarren A. Bechtel. He grew up in construction camps, living with his father as he traveled to construction projects.[2] He graduated fromOakland Technical High School[3] in 1918, and served with the20th Engineer Brigade, part of theAmerican Expeditionary Force sent to assistFrance inWorld War I. In 1919, after the war, he attended theUniversity of California, Berkeley for one year and left to work for his father's company full-time.[2][4]
In 1923, Bechtel married Laura Adeline Peart, aBerkeley alumna, who would help her husband build the family-owned business into one of the world's largest engineering and construction firms.[4]
In 1925,Warren A. Bechtel, his sons Warren Jr, Stephen Sr,Kenneth (Ken), and his brother Arthur (Art) joined to incorporate asW.A. Bechtel Company. Stephen Sr. became vice-president of Bechtel in 1925. His father, Warren A. Bechtel, died suddenly while traveling to theSoviet Union in 1933. That came at a critical time for the company: concrete was being poured for theHoover Dam, Bechtel's largest project. Stephen became president in 1935 and saw the company through the construction of the dam.[2][citation needed]
Over the next 30 years, Stephen expanded Bechtel into a huge and successful engineering company with operations all over the world. He handed the presidency of the company over to his son,Stephen Jr. in 1960 but stayed on as the chairman until 1969.
Berkeley awarded Bechtel an honorary degree in Agricultural Science in 1954, and in 1980, it completed construction of the Bechtel Engineering Center, which was named in his honor. Before this the building was known as theMechanics Building.[5]
In 1976, Bechtel received the Golden Plate Award of theAmerican Academy of Achievement.[6]
Stephen Bechtel died on March 14, 1989, atMerritt Peralta Medical Center inOakland, California.[2] He was buried inMountain View Cemetery in Oakland.
Stephen was named byTime magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.[7]
The undergraduate engineering center of theUniversity of California, Berkeley was named the "Bechtel Engineering Center."
One of the buildings of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture at theAmerican University of Beirut (AUB) is named "The Bechtel Engineering Building" after its donor, Stephen Bechtel.
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