Release_1974-1975_1974-478

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Part of (1974-1975) Special Feature on Spokane Contractor Halvor Halvorson

Title

Release_1974-1975_1974-478

extracted text

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."