Editor’s Note: In July 2021, we received an email from Bud’s son, Charles. He was looking for information on his father and found the foregoing abstract online that had the link to our website. He asked for the full text of Bud’s oral interview. We sent it off and received the following response.
My dad was so proud to have been part of CH2M HILL and the founders who lived in Corvallis during his time. The founders had a tremendous impact on my father’s successes before and after World War II and beyond can’t be measured.
My father and mother, Mildred, were able to raise my older sister, older brother, and myself in Corvallis happily and successfully. My middle name is Holly, named after Holly Cornell.
During the 1962 Columbus Day storm, a large part of Corvallis flooded. The Merryfields somehow rescued our family from the flood waters. We ended up staying with Fred and Ann Merryfield until the waters went down.
They were so kind and most giving to my dad. During my Junior and High School years, I worked for the Merryfields gardening during the summers.
My brother, Michael Smith, was offered a scholarship from CH2M HILL to go into engineering. For some reason, he declined the offer and instead went on to graduate with a PhD in Psychology from UC Berkley. He is still practicing today. My sister, Carol, graduated with a Master’s Degree in Education from the University Santa Clara. She has retired from education from the San Jose, CA, School District. I attended Howard University and majored in healthcare. My wife and I live in downtown Seattle, where I currently work for Delta Air Lines; and my wife, Maggie Yen Smith, is an Executive Recruiter for Amazon.
Both my sister and brother have daughters who have both graduated: one from USC with a Master’s Degree in Sociology and the other from UC Berkley with a BA Degree. My wife and I have no kids, but our nieces’ kids keep us busy. My dad and mom are great grandparents. They would be so proud.
My dad and mother both have a legacy that lives on due to kindness and friendships of people such as yourself and your colleagues who they met along their journey. The Founders, I’m sure, had a huge role in that especially with my dad being one of the few Black men in Corvallis during the early 1930s.
This communication has given me some more clarity, which I thank you and your colleagues. Thank you for keeping my dad’s memories alive and well.
Warm regards,
Charles Holly and Maggie Yen Smith