Holly Cornell Oral History Interview (1 of 4)

In this interview, Holly Cornell discusses his childhood, his family background, his college career, his time in the Army, and the story of how he originally became a part of CH2M. Cornell notes that his family originally moved to Oregon in the nineteenth century. He draws upon his great-grandfather’s journal, which had been passed down to him, to describe that journey. Cornell then discusses his immediate family and childhood, noting that his father worked while his mother stayed at home to raise Cornell, his brother, and his sister. Cornell adds that he had a childhood interest in airplanes and radios; an interest that his father shared and encouraged. In discussing his teenage years, Cornell reflects on how his career prospects and plans were impacted by the Great Depression and states that, after high school, he spent a couple of years working to help support his family, rather than going directly to college.

After his family became more financially stable, Cornell ultimately decided to attend Oregon State College (OSC). He recalls the leadership positions he held while in school, his social life, and his academic standing. He knew that he wanted to be an engineer and began taking engineering courses during his freshman year. He notes that his active social life and extracurricular activities often made a negative impact on his academics, but that he enjoyed engineering and respected his professors. He discusses his first encounter with Fred Merryfield, whom he recalls as a wild but fantastic teacher. He also briefly notes his college friendships with Jim Howland and Burke Hayes. After graduating from OSC, Cornell attended Yale for his graduate studies, a time he remembers fondly. He concludes his reflection on his educational career by discussing how he met his wife at OSC and the time they spent together while he was enrolled at Yale.

Cornell next describes his early career as an engineer. He began working for Standard Oil, a job he felt he was well suited for, but only a year into it he decided to join the Army. He notes that he joined up before the attack on Pearl Harbor, and was not expecting to take part in the war as soon as he did. He began his stint in the service as a teacher at an engineering training camp. He then was deployed to Europe, where he worked as an Army engineer, fortifying defenses and building armaments. Cornell explains that he got a Bronze Star, though he doesn’t feel he truly deserves it, as he never faced what he considered to be serious battle conditions. Cornell also recalls some of the most important battles he contributed to, though he repeats that he was not a key figure in the events that took place.

Cornell then describes his actions after returning home from Europe. He discusses his correspondence with Jim Howland and Fred Merryfield, and how they solidified their plans to begin an engineering firm together. He was encouraged by Merryfield’s enthusiasm and recalls feeling very confident about the venture. Cornell also talks about the recruitment of Burke Hayes into the firm, and then focuses on the different talents all of the founding members brought as well as the challenges they faced. The interview concludes with Cornell commenting on what he believed his parents would have thought of his career as an engineer, connecting his role in CH2M back to his childhood experiences learning about radios and planes from his father.

Holly A. Cornell (1914-1997) enrolled at Oregon State College in the fall of 1934. While at OSC, Cornell met then professor of engineering Fred Merryfield, who inspired Cornell to pursue a career in civil engineering. Cornell received his bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1938 and went on to earn a master's from Yale in 1940. After serving in the Army Corps of Engineers during World War II, Cornell moved back to Corvallis, and together with his old professor and two friends, founded CH2M. Cornell died in his Wilsonville home in 1997 at the age of 83.