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The Early Years
Founded in 1944 by John Schooley, a former State
Architect of Ohio, Ray Sims a successful architect and structural
engineer, and Bert Cornelius, a mechanical engineer, civic and
public projects were the focus of Sims, Cornelius & Schooley.
Having stayed true to our roots, today Schooley Caldwell Associates
continues as a multidisiplined firm with the added expertise of
landscape architects, interior designers and planners.
During our
first decade, a passion for historic preservation and renovation
was cultivated and we began to build a strong repeat client base.
Our first historic project was a sympathetic addition to the Mason
Grand Lodge in Worthington, Ohio. In the mid 50s, we were awarded
our first project for the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department
(CRPD), Whetstone Recreation Center, and have continued to do projects
for CRPD, with the most recent being the new 32,000 sq. ft. Dodge
Recreation Center.
In 1954, John P. Schooley, Jr. joined his father
at our firm and helped shape our culture for the next four decades – his
passion for design excellence is his legacy.
The Second Generation
The 60s and 70s brought some big changes
to our firm. John, Jr., was made a principal in 1962 and after
the passing of Ray Sims, the firm’s name was changed to Schooley Cornelius Schooley. With the passing of John Sr. in 1969, the firm changed names again to Schooley Cornelius Associates. “Associates” was
added to mark the importance of all employees.
Our public and education markets continued to grow. At The
Ohio State University we designed a pair of prominent and popular
residence halls, Lincoln and Morrill Towers, which are slated
for renovation in the near future. Other OSU projects included
Hitchcock Hall for the College of Engineering. We designed
the Upper Arlington Municipal Center that today remains as
a tribute to timeless and contemporary design.
Bob Caldwell
joined us in 1962 and started a 37-year career that brought
a penchant for quality control and a proactive marketing effort
that continues to influence our firm. Don Hoover joined the
firm and became a principal and chief financial officer, guiding
the firm’s business plan until his retirement in 2005. Although retired, he still serves as Chairman of the Board. Also, it was during this period that several of today’s leaders – Bob
Loversidge, Tom Matheny, Vince Bednar, and Terry Sullivan --
joined the firm.
In the 70s, we purchased our first computer
which used 9” floppy disks –technology has long
been a part of our ability to deliver outstanding client service!
The Firm Today
The firm became Schooley Caldwell Associates
in 1980 and we incorporated.
We have continued developing long-term
client relationships -- our long history with Antioch College
began in the mid 80s with development of a campus master plan
that has come full circle with the recent completion of a new
campus strategic plan.
Our passion for historic preservation
expanded with the completion of a master plan for the Ohio
Statehouse that led to the restoration and preservation of
this National Historic Landmark. While our preservation and
renovation portfolio grew with this project, we have also designed
many new buildings, including community libraries close to
home and the U.S. Chancery in Rangoon, Burma.
In 1998 with John,
Jr. preparing for retirement, Bob Loversidge was named president
and CEO, and he continues leading the firm as chief design
principal. Our firm is structured to allow each of our six
principals to pursue their goals as design professionals, while
also having specific management responsibilities.
In addition
to our well-known focus on public work, throughout our 60-plus
years we’ve developed a significant portfolio of private
work for clients, including: Nationwide Insurance; Jones Lang
LaSalle; Georgetown Group; Allied Mineral Products, Harley
Davidson, NiSource (formerly Columbia Gas), the Columbus Bar
Association, Hines Interests, National City Bank, Riverside
Hospitals, and many others.
Today our work continues at the
Ohio Statehouse as Architect of the Capitol, and has led us
to serve as design architect and engineer for the restoration
and renovation of the Kansas Statehouse, the Utah State Capitol,
and the Minnesota Capitol. Our restoration and adaptive use
of a former 1930s state office building to become the home
of the Supreme Court of Ohio has received over 10 awards and
was published in Architectural Record. We’re proud to be involved in the restoration of four of our nation’s
most important public structures, as well as countless other
legacy projects.
The Future
Just as the founding structure of our firm was based
upon a multidisciplined practice with a focus on design excellence,
and developing long-term client relationships, we continue
that tradition and look forward to Schooley Caldwell’s
continued evolution and success.
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