ABOUT
The SEAONC Legacy and History Committee was initially formed to build and maintain the Hensolt Project. Over the years, its role has expanded to serve as the historian for SEAONC, documenting SEAONC’s past and ongoing legacy as it continues to develop.
The Hensolt SEAONC Legacy Project
In 2014, SEAONC received a generous donation from the family of Walter Hensolt. Walter was a dedicated structural engineer for fifty years as a principal at Chin & Hensolt Engineers. He left his professional legacy in the San Francisco Bay Area with signature projects such as the Transamerica Pyramid building, Candlestick Park, the St. Francis Hotel Tower, One Market Plaza, and Marine World-Africa USA.
In honor of Walter’s gift, the Board approved an initiative to create the Hensolt SEAONC Legacy Project. The goal of the project is to celebrate, preserve, share, and learn from the legacies of SEAONC individuals, iconic projects, and influential organizations that have built our profession. To do this, the committee has developed an interactive online database and timeline through the Hensolt Project website, featuring stories and backgrounds on the engineers, firms, landmarks, events, and technical leadership that has shaped structural engineering in Northern California and beyond. This database gives us the opportunity to understand how the structural engineering profession has developed over time and allows us to learn from both our colleagues and predecessors.