December 1968. William Schmidt invites several fellow structural engineers to dinner at the
Red Star Inn to discuss need of an organization that would address the design and
construction issues involved in the design and construction of high-rise buildings. A little
more than one year later – the CCHRB holds their first meeting, electing Fazlur Khan as the
first Chairman. This video tells our story, from the early days until now. Prepared by the
CCHRB Historical and Archival Task Force; Peter Weismantle (Chair), Carl Baldassarra, Sara
Beardsley, Jane Cameron, Tony Kiefer, and Lucas Tryggestad. Special thanks to:
Mary Woolever, Independent Researcher, for her help in tracking down information on
several of the founders;
Wiss Janney Elsner Associates, for providing the venue for the video interviews; and,
Peter Hawley, Director, Windy Cine Productions, for his creation of the animation from
the Task Force’s original PowerPoint, narratives, archival materials and video interviews.
