Thomas J. Autzen
| Thomas J. Autzen | |
|---|---|
| Born |
June 8, 1888 Hoquiam, Washington, U.S. |
| Died | September 8, 1958 (aged 70) Portland, Oregon |
| Resting place |
River View Cemetery Portland, Oregon |
| Alma mater | Oregon State University, B.S.E.E. 1909 |
| Occupation | Businessman, Electrical Engineer, Philanthropist |
| Net worth | $2.8 million |
| Spouse(s) | Marvel Mae Shields (1893–1976) |
| Children |
Thomas E. Autzen (1918–1997) Annabelle Autzen Houser (1919–2012) Elizabeth Autzen Patton Peter Autzen (1922–1932) Duane Autzen (1923–2001) |
| Parent(s) | Peter and Anna Autzen |
Thomas John Autzen (June 8, 1888 – September 8, 1958) was a Danish-American pioneer in plywood manufacturing, and founder of a family-run philanthropic foundation known as the Autzen Foundation, based in Portland, Oregon. The Autzen Foundation supplied the single largest donation, $250,000, to support the construction of the football stadium at the University of Oregon in Eugene that bears his name. Construction began in 1966, eight years after his death, and was completed in 1967. Autzen's heirs, led by his son Thomas E. Autzen, operated the foundation after his death, per the terms of his will.
Although his name is popularly associated with Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Autzen was an alumnus of today's Oregon State University in Corvallis. His foundation's donation to the University of Oregon was as a parent; his eldest son Thomas E. graduated from UO in 1943.
Within the wood products manufacturing industry, Autzen and his family are most notably recognized for owning and managing a company that helped revolutionize wood-laminate milling methods still in use today. These discoveries, which were engineered and utilized at the Autzen plants, had an enormous impact on modern building methods and helped radically change plywood production throughout the industry.
Born to Danish immigrants in the bayside town of Hoquiam, Washington, Autzen grew up around logging. His father Peter (1854–1918) spent his early adult life working successfully as a logger through much of the late 1800s. In 1902, Peter purchased an established Northwest wood products mill, originally known as Doernbecher and Holbrook. Once the Autzen family took over management, they renamed the mill "Portland Manufacturing Company." Under Peter's leadership, management at the St. Johns-based mill began pioneering some of the nation's earliest known, mass-produced, plywood panels. A self-engineered glue spreader, which allowed "plys" of wood to easily bond during mass-production, helped drive production levels to a new high. Thomas J. Autzen and the mill's superintendent, Oscar Mason, are credited with developing the device and marketing it into the company's greatest asset.
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