Holly Cornell Oral History Interview (3 of 4)

In this interview, Cornell discusses CH2M’s expansion into Seattle, stating that he was the person who pushed to have firm open a Seattle office. He gives the reasoning that although there was more competition in Seattle, there was also much more work, and taking on projects in a large city would allow CH2M to build its reputation. Cornell notes that it took a while for the Seattle office to become a success, but after about five years it became highly productive. Cornell notes that he and his wife both enjoyed living in Seattle and would consider living there after retirement.

Cornell next describes his most difficult experiences at CH2M. He recalls a staff reduction in 1975 and 1976, during which he was in charge of layoffs. He explains that he found this experience distressing, particularly given that he was acting as president of the company at the time, and thus felt responsible. However, Cornell explains that he was able to get through that time, and other difficult periods, because he was able to rely on the other partners and employees at CH2M.

Cornell’s favorite memories from CH2M are a focus of the interview. He notes that he enjoyed particularly complex projects as well as work that gained the organization more acclaim. He also offers that he was proud of being president for a period of time, although he does not feel he was CH2M’s best president. He explains that he became president simply because the other partners were either uninterested or unavailable at the time. He then returns to discussing the Seattle office, which he names as another one of his favorite memories from his career.

The interview concludes with Cornell’s reflections on what he would do differently if he was starting the firm again, noting that he would locate it somewhere other than Corvallis, preferably somewhere more centrally located. In his view, starting the firm in a larger city would have provided more opportunities for CH2M and would have allowed it to grow more quickly.

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.