Stephen Bechtel Jr.
Stephen Bechtel Jr. | |
---|---|
Riley | |
Parent | Stephen Bechtel Sr. |
Relatives | Warren A. Bechtel (grandfather) |
Stephen Davison Bechtel Jr. (May 10, 1925 – March 15, 2021) was an American
Bechtel also served on the board of
At the time of his death, he had a net worth of nearly US$3 billion according to Forbes.[1]
Early life
Bechtel was born in
Career
Bechtel joined the family business in 1948. While he initially wanted to enter into home building, he was convinced by his father by showcasing Bechtel Corporation's global projects in a three week trip.[2] He succeeded his father, Stephen Bechtel Sr., as president of Bechtel Corporation in 1960 and chairman in 1969.[2] His career with the company spanned 30 years until his retirement in 1990. During his time, the company which was earlier known for its work on the Hoover Dam and the Bay Area Rapid Transit, expanded its global footprint by working on the Channel Tunnel between France and the United Kingdom, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh as well as Jubail Industrial City in Saudi Arabia. The last is considered one of the largest civil engineering projects of the time.[2] The company was involved in the build out of oil platforms in the North Sea, liquefied natural gas plants in Algeria, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates, and also in the cleanup of the nuclear reactor site Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania.[7]
The company's role in Boston's infrastructure projects, titled
During his time the company, over three decades, the company's revenues grew eleven-fold, and the company also pivoted from majority ownership residing within the family to a model that had majority ownership by managers outside of the family.
Political appointments
Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Bechtel to the President’s Committee on Urban Housing.[8] Richard Nixon named him to membership on the National Industrial Pollution Control Council, the National Commission on Productivity, the Labor Management Advisory Committee, and the National Commission for Industrial Peace.[9] Gerald Ford asked Bechtel to serve on the President’s Labor-Management Committee.[10]
Boy Scouts
Bechtel became an
The BSA acquired new property near
Philanthropy
Bechtel was a contributor to many environmental causes. He created a foundation in 1957 to support these cases. The foundation contributed $50 million to create a National Scout Reserve in southern
Awards and honors
Bechtel was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1990.[15] He is the 1980 recipient of the Hoover Medal, which commemorates the civic and humanitarian achievements of engineers.[16] In 1990, he was elevated to National Honor Member by Chi Epsilon, the national civil engineering honor society. In 1998, he and his son Riley were presented with the Honor Award from the National Building Museum for their company's contributions to the built environment.[17] Bechtel received the Award of Excellence from Engineering News-Record for his leadership of Bechtel Corporation.[18]
He received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 1991, from the then US President, George H. W. Bush.[2]
Personal life
Bechtel and his wife, Betty, had two sons and three daughters. One son,
Bechtel died on March 15, 2021, at his home in San Francisco, California. He was aged 95.[2][20]
Books
- McCartney, Laton (1989). Friends in high places: the Bechtel story: the most secret corporation and how it engineered the world. Ballantine Books. OCLC 19642636.
See also
- List of billionaires
References
- ^ "Forbes profile: Stephen Bechtel Jr". Forbes. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ "Stephen D. Bechtel, Sr. – Family Leadership – Bechtel". Bechtel Corporate. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ "The Beta Theta Pi Magazine (Fall 2009)". Issuu. November 17, 2009. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ "Stephen Bechtel Jr., 95, Dies; Led Family's Giant Engineering Firm". The New York Times. March 16, 2021.
- ^ ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ "The Report of the President's Committee on Affordable Housing".
- ^ "Stephen Bechtel Jr". Philanthropies. May 21, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ "Ford Library Museum - Labor Management Committee" (PDF). Ford Library Museum.
- ^ Welcome, Boy Scouts, MetroNews, Glen Jean, Fayette County
- ^ "Bechtel Family National Scouting Center". Scouting News. August 29, 2009. Archived from the original on September 23, 2009. Retrieved September 8, 2009.
- ^ "S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation".
- ^ "Forbes List Directory". Forbes.
- ^ "Book of Members, 1780-2010: Chapter B" (PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved May 29, 2011.
- ^ "Hoover Medal". www.asme.org.
- ^ "Awards for exemplary achievements in the built environment". December 16, 2016.
- ISSN 0891-9526
- ^ "S. D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation Board: Elizabeth H. Bechtel". sdbjrfoundation.org.
- ^ "Former Bechtel CEO and chairman Stephen Bechtel Jr. dies at 95". WTOP. March 16, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.