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Identifier
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Release_1974-1975_1974-478
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Title
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(1974-1975) Special Feature on Spokane Contractor Halvor Halvorson
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Date
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1974
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extracted text
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SPECIAL FEATURE
SPOKANE CONTRACTOR MAJOR FORCE
IN DEVELOPMENT OF EVERGREEN
If ever a man was "self made", Ha1vor Halvorson
An immigrant
probably
from Sweden at the age of two, Halvorson
Inland Empire in 1947 with,
fills the bill.
came to Washington's
as he says, "nobody and no dollars."
He founded what became a 200 million dollar construction company, supported
more community projects than even his biographer --- if he had one --- could count,
and has played
Raised
Minnesota,
a major role in development
in St. Paul, Halvorson
worked
field artillery
studied
for a few years,
company,"
then served in
(Mickey) Mikelson,
settled with
"It looked like a good place to live and start a
newspaper
H. Halvorson,
As president
development
the business
later, Halvorson
as president
of a "nationally
and general manager
expanded
California,
of the corporation,
Halvorson
shopping
centers, hospitals,
Spokane's
School, and San Francisco's
construction
Letterman
project
Hospital,
for constructing
Eventually,
states --- building
Seattle·s
Shoreline
which was the largest
High
on-site
in the country when it was built in 1967.
more than 350 construction
jects with a total value of more than 200 million
carries water
from Fairbanks,
hotels and schools.
new air terminal,
That same year, the company had completed
recongition
oversaw
from Seattle to Minot, North Dakota.
to serve more than two dozen western
His firm constructed
concrete
pages of
known construction
of the company which was, by 1957, doing business
churches,
bore which
made the business
Incorporated.
to Santa Barbara,
national
of
he recalls.
his adopted hometown
precast
at the University
the former "Rudella
A dozen years and four children
banks,
State College.
during World War II.
their first born in Spokane.
Alaska
engineering
for his father, a contractor,
After the war he and his bride,
business,"
of The Evergreen
dollars.
the Tecolote Tunnel,
from Cachuma Lake through
pro-
It has also received
a6.4
mile-long
the Santa Ynez Mountains
straight
to
-2-
Santa Barbara County.
The l4-million-dollar task was an awesomely difficult under-
taking and took six years to complete.
The company has since been sited by the
Washington Public ~Ower Supply System for its role in construction of what was
in 196~ the world's largest nuclear powered steam plant, Hanford Number One, near
Richland,(Washington.
1967,
By
the company's president was also receiving personal recognition.
Governor Daniel J. Evans had called him to ask if h~ would accept appointment to
the Board of Trustees of Evergreen, a college without site, buildings, or faculty.
Halvorson readily accepted the appointment, offering his experience as a
member of Pacific Lutheran University's board of trustees for five years, and his
considerable expertise in construction.
"In the beginning, being a trustee for Evergreen was very dtfficult," he
says.
"We didn't meet until the middle of September (1967)and we had less than
three months to select a site and get the college going."
Halvorson was asked to chair the site selection committee which worked
closely with local citizens and finally narrowed possible locations to the present
site on nearly 1,000 acres of the Cooper Point Peninsula, five miles. northwest
of Olympia.
"We really were fortunate to find a site so large and so close to Olympia,"
he says.
"We only had to move three families from a total of 67 parcels of land
and we felt the site's proximity to Olympia and the state legislature was a real
bonus."
Halvorson expresses excitement about his involvement with Evergreen but
voices a trustee's concerns for its future.
"The college is making available to its students an educational concept or
service, if you will, that no other colleges are providing," he says.
students
"We teaching
to be part of their own governance and to become better men and women."
He's disappointed, though, that the college is not able to invite more
-more-
-3-
students
to enroll.
students
that we are," he says.
"We should be able to offer Evergreen's
"I think our legislators
adds.
can be convinced
He admits the task of convincing
himself,
students
Halvorson
thinks the solution
are more oriented
I feel Evergreen
will,
needs of today's
to more
to fund us for more students,"
them will be a tough one.
lies with Evergreen's
the Spokanite
An active politican
students.
"I think our
than those of other colleges,"
in due time, enjoy a greatly expanded
values of the Evergreen
Though Halvorson
to government
programs
he smiles,
"and
student body as the
concept become more evident."
says he thinks Evergreen's
students,
he wishes
program
is "exactly
right" for the
the new college had a better relationship
with
its home county community.
"I wish we had created an advisory
were creating
mented.
the college,"
board of local citizens
he says. "We considered
is competitive
has for encouraging
greater community
I really do feel it would be a positive
help keep the alumni interested
In its four-year
but has, instead,
history,
encouraged
athletics,
support
for Evergreen
"the least expensive
he aayc..
and it would
in the college."
Evergreen
intramural
has not participated
or individualistic
sports --- like basketball,
also voices concerns
"react to problems
program,"
force in the community,
thinks the students would support development
Halvorson
in shaping
sports.
"I'm one trustee who does support a competitive
Halvorson
County citizens
imple-
of the school."
One idea Halvorson
"Because
it, but the idea was never
I still think we could involve more Thurston
the direction
to help us as we
in competitive
sports programs.
of competitive
-more-
However,
teams in
track, tennis and golf."
for what he sees as Evergreen's
too much.
athletics,
tendency
to
-4-
"We I ve got to solve prob lems before "We. "re forced
to react to them, II h-e i.ns.is.ta.
The construction magnate says he hears "really good thfriga" from scudents
and parents in the Spokane area who a~e involved with Evergreen and feels strongly
that the college is "one of the finest in the Northwest."
One reason for Evergreen's success, he says, is its lack of faculty tenure.
"I think it I S one of our big pluses, 'I he adds.
"Our instructors are on three-
year contracts and they have to perform or be released. "
So far there have been few terminations of college faculty at Evergreen
because, he thinks, "our instructors were drawn from a pool of 20,000 applicants
and those who ht.red.them dfd,qanH.ncredibleAob 6f se~ettd:on'.'''
With Evergreen's last major facility now under construction, Halvorson sees
no change in his role as a decision maker for Evergreen.
"In the beginning, it was important to Governor Evans to have a contractor
on the board, one who would see to it that money was spent wisely," he says.
"But," he adds, "there's only five of us.on the board and we've all been involved
in everything."
Halvorson has, indeed been involved in everything --- and not only at Evergreen,
where he was recently appointed to his second term on the board.
But, the Spokane contractor and father of five has also founded two travel
bureaus in his home city, serves as a director for the Old National Bank of Washington and for Bancshares Mortage Company, is Cha~m~n
City of,Spokane's Col faeum/Bt ad.Imn,
of ~he Advisory Committee for the
and belongs to or has served on numerous other
community organizations and activities.
He sums up his personal success --- and that of the new college in Olympia
which received full academic accreditation in three years instead of the traditional four --- simply.
"There is no secret to these successes," he says.
"j
us t hard work."
