Purdue mourns the passing of Stephen D. Bechtel Jr., business innovator and benefactor
The patriarch of the Bechtel family and third-generation CEO, Stephen D. Bechtel Jr. (known as Steve Jr.) was a global figure in business, public affairs, and philanthropy. He oversaw the company’s growth into a world leader in the construction industry, building iconic infrastructure on six continents and pioneering new technologies, engineering and construction methods. The firm’s sales grew 11-fold, its employee population five-fold, and major projects from 18 to 119 during his tenure.
“We are saddened by the loss of one of the University’s most distinguished alumni, Stephen D. Bechtel Jr.,” said Purdue University President Mitch Daniels. “His legacy as one of our nation’s foremost engineers lives on at Purdue in the Bechtel Innovation Design Center, whose purpose is to help students turn creative ideas into patentable prototypes and products. Boilermakers everywhere send our deepest condolences to Steve Jr.’s family and the members of Bechtel.”
The Bechtel Innovation Design Center (BIDC) was named to honor Steve Jr.’s $18.5 million leadership gift through the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. Other significant Foundation investments in Purdue to foster educational innovation helped launch the School of Engineering Education, the world’s first academic program in the discipline; the INSPIRE Research Institute for Pre-College Engineering; and the Ideas to Innovation (i2i) Learning Laboratory.
When the BIDC was named in 2015, Steve Jr. said: “This will be an inspiring facility for today’s students and tomorrow’s leaders. As a dedicated space for student innovators, it will help place Purdue at the forefront of engineering and technology education and equip students for success in the dynamic, project-oriented environment of the professional world.”
That aspiration has come to fruition, and the distinguished alumnus' impact on Purdue’s College of Engineering has been profound.
"As a recipient of the National Medal of Technology and as the Chairman of NAE, Steve Jr. was an inspiring alumnus, and his gifts, such as BIDC, have enriched our learning and discovery en route to the Pinnacle of Excellence at Scale" said Mung Chiang, Purdue’s John A. Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering and Roscoe H. George Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Born on May 10, 1925, in Oakland, California, Steve Jr. progressed at Bechtel from field engineer to CEO at age 35. Among Bechtel’s notable projects under his leadership were the Bay Area Rapid Transit system (BART) of San Francisco; many first-of-a-kind North Sea oil and gas platforms; LNG plants in Algeria, the UAE, and Indonesia; nuclear power plants throughout the United States; the Jubail Industrial City and King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia; and the Channel Tunnel between Britain and France.
After he retired from Bechtel, he was succeeded by his son, Riley P. Bechtel, and later by his grandson, Brendan P. Bechtel. Steve Jr. continued to serve on the company’s board through 2018.
Highly recognized, Steve Jr. was elected to the National Academy of Engineering (of which he later served as chairman) and the French Legion of Honor; was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences; and received a Purdue honorary doctorate, the Hoover Medal, and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.