Fred H. Schott, June 19th 1935 - May 13th 2015
ASCE Life Member
ASCE Life Member
Just over fourteen years ago I was packing my car for spring
break when I got the phone call. It was
Fred Schott calling to offer me an interview for a summer internship. I had just finished my third year finals for
the Architectural Engineering program at Cal Poly and little did I know my
hardest test of the week was yet to come.
I spent the afternoon sitting across from the man who would become my
mentor as he quizzed me about everything I had learned in my years at school,
and then told I didn't know anything yet.
There may have even been a few Berkeley/Cal Poly comparisons mixed in
there. However, I must have passed
because I have worked for Fred every day since!
Just about everyone you talk to in the
engineering/construction industry on the central coast has a "Fred
Schott" story and his reputation extends even greater distances. His years pitching softballs and running one
of the biggest engineering firms in the area are just a couple of the many stories
I have heard. I was a personal witness
to a somewhat calmer version of that man. When I joined his company, he had
dramatically reduced the size of his firm so he could step away from the roll
of "business man" and get back to the engineering he loved. Just five short years ago you could still find
him climbing the sides of concrete trucks to check the quality of the mud. He did not just love his job, he lived
it. His mind was constantly working,
numerous mornings I would arrive at the office and before I could even set down
my bag he would be at my desk with an idea that had come to him in his sleep.
I still cannot fathom how he knew all that he knew. This was a man who could do moment
distribution in his head. He was an
expert in concrete mix design, designed steel plate shear walls before they
were allowed, and pushed the limits of Structural Engineering at every
turn. He had a love-hate relationship
with computers; he loved getting rid of the pencil lead, eraser shavings and
vellum, but hated when "new" engineers would rely on them without knowing
how to do the calculation by hand first.
He had to put some of that aside with our recent time-history damper
analysis work, but he could still spot a modeling error within minutes of
looking at our computer results.
Fred spent almost 80 years on this earth with his mind still
as sharp as a tack, and I am beyond thankful for the years I was able to spend
learning from him. He truly was the
greatest engineer I will ever know and he was right, I didn't know
anything. I will spend the rest of my
career trying to remember everything he taught me.
Written by Jillian van Enckevort, SE
Fred Schott & Associates
Fred Schott & Associates
