Alfred Benesch
Alfred Benesch founded Alfred Benesch & Associates in 1946 after serving in WWII. The structural and civil engineering firm’s first project was a women’s dormitory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The firm grew rapidly and by 1956 had over 60 employees. Mr. Benesch worked tirelessly to bring in new talent from outside the United States, and he brought about a culture at his company of caring about the welfare of his employees. Alfred Benesch stayed on as the President of Alfred Benesch & Company until he retired in 1971. Benesch handed his title over to Harold Sandberg who had been the firm’s first employee. He died shortly after, but his legacy of care for his employees and quality work in civil engineering have made a lasting impact on the world.