Lester E. Poole

Life Member 1999
Born in Bend, Oregon, Lester E. Poole (1929-2018) grew up in the small logging community of Mill City. He earned the BSCE in 1951 from Oregon State University, then served two years with the US Army Corps of Engineers in Germany. He worked briefly with Boeing's Structural Design Department (7/51-10/51), then with Oregon State Highway Department Bridge Design 1954-56 and with Gellert, Griffin, Williams & Associates 1956-58 before earning the MSCE in 1961 from Oregon State University.

He worked with John Graham & Co. in Seattle beginning in 1958, including the time of the firm's involvement in design of the Space Needle for the Seattle World's Fair. He recalls that an atmosphere of urgency influenced the design: "Howard Wright emphasized the critical schedule, asking 'What have you got that can get this done quickly?' We came up with the concept of three I-beams joining at flange corners. And people talked a lot about innovation in concrete."Les offers the image during construction, as it got "above the waist," when Graham engineer Howard Leuchen got lifted above the structure in a basket on a line hoist -- and remembers thinking at the time "I'm glad I'm not in his position." He recalls that Richard E. Taylor directed the conceptual design for Graham, and that the firm brought in John K. Minasian as a consultant: "Minasian added the peripheral members at the 100- and 200-foot levels." Les worked with the Graham firm for 28 years, becoming Director of Structural Engineering in 1967 and later Director of Engineering, before establishing his own private practice. Posted April 2012/Updated May 2012 & October 2019