Holly Cornell Oral History Interview (2 of 3)

In the interview, Cornell discusses his early experiences with CH2M, the state of engineering education, the impact each of the founding members of CH2M had on the company, and how they all worked together. In recalling the early years of CH2M, Cornell notes that neither he nor any of the other initial partners had any long-range plans for the company or an understanding of how it could grow. Cornell explains that CH2M did not have much competition in the Pacific Northwest, which allowed it to become successful at a faster rate than he had expected. He states that while individual engineering professors did consulting work out of Oregon State College and a few local firms, there was still an abundance of work that CH2M could take on.

Cornell then briefly talks about CH2M’s work with student employees. He feels that one of the benefits of having the firm in Corvallis is it allows them to easily hire students as interns. However, he states that engineering education is now different than it was when he was at the university. He and his classmates prioritized practical experience, while he feels that current students receive a more thorough theoretical education but have less field experience.

The interview then turns to a discussion about the founding members of CH2M. Cornell starts by describing Fred Merryfield, whom he remembers as entertaining, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable. Cornell points out that Merryfield’s knowledge and his contacts in the Pacific Northwest provided CH2M with its first clients. He also explains that it was Merryfield who was first interested in cleaning rivers and treating water, projects which would contribute greatly to CH2M’s success.

Cornell then returns to the early years of CH2M, outlining its financial difficulties and difficult starting projects. Despite that, he says he remained confident in the firm’s eventual success. He also talks about how he and the other partners divided up projects, and who worked best at which tasks. Cornell describes the founding members of CH2M as a collaborative group who were able to work together despite occasional differences of opinion. Cornell notes that he and Jim Howland generally functioned as the leaders of the group, but that decision making remained democratic. He feels that Howland’s leadership was his greatest contribution to the firm. Cornell also briefly discusses Burke Hayes’ contributions, noting that he was highly innovative. The conversation ends with a description of how Archie Rice, CH2M’s fifth partner, joined the firm, and how he impacted the group’s dynamic.

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.