Members of the Campbell Board of Trustees, Portland Fire & Rescue, and Portland State University’s Department of Architecture announced Monday, October 26, 2009 the three finalists for the design of the memorial dedicated to David Campbell, Fire Chief 1893-1911, and other courageous Portland firefighters who died in the line of duty.

Members of the Campbell Board of Trustees present at the October 26, 2009 meeting included Randy Leonard (City Commissioner), Nick Fish (City Commissioner), Paul Corah (Portland Fire & Rescue), Jeff Schnabel (Portland State University Department of Architecture), Worth Caldwell (Eastside Industrial Council Representative), Terry Shanley (CEO of Start Making a Reader Today - SMART), and visitor Rudy Soto (Intern with Commissioner Fish's office). 

The proposed site for the new David Campbell Memorial is at the East end of the Hawthorne Bridge, overlooking downtown Portland and feet away from where Portland Fire Chief David Campbell died while fighting the Union Oil fire on June 26, 1911. He had gone into the burning building shortly before an explosion occurred which took his life.  The construction of the new memorial is to be funded through private donations and sponsorships. 

Seven alumni from Portland State University’s Department of Architecture submitted conceptual designs for the memorial, with three finalists selected by the members of the Campbell Board of Trustees. 

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE THREE FINALISTS (in no particular order):

• Aaron Whelton, WHELTONarchitecture
• Matt Loosemore, Sum Design Studio
• William Tripp, Tripparch 

The three finalists will now have a set amount of time to fine-tune their concepts using feedback provided from the public and the Campbell Board of Trustees.  The finalists will present their plans for the memorial before the Campbell Board of Trustees in late November 2009.  The winning design will be unveiled in December 2009.

The goal of the Campbell Board of Trustees is to select a design, raise funds, and construct the memorial and dedicate it on the 100^th anniversary of Chief Campbell’s death (June 26, 2011) as well as commemorate the 10^th anniversary of the events of September 11^th.

The current Campbell Memorial is located on West Burnside between SW 18^th and 19^th Avenues in Portland, Oregon.  The memorial was dedicated on June 26, 1928 and cost $35,000.  The memorial was designed by Paul Philippe Cret of Philadelphia, with Ernest F. Tucker, Architect, acting as the Portland representative.  The current memorial is showing obvious signs of age and deterioration and is unable to be restored.

All seven of the conceptual design submissions will be displayed for public viewing in the Atrium on the first floor of the City of Portland's City Hall located at 1221 SW 4th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97204 during the week of October 26, 2009. 

The design submissions will also be posted on www.portlandfirefightersmemorial.org during the week of November 2, 2009.

October 27, 2009