Nicholas Forell


Nicholas F. Forell was a structural engineer and a leading authority in the development of modern earthquake safety design. He was a founder and former president of the San Francisco firm Forell/Elsesser Engineers.

Early life

Nicholas was born in Züllichau, Germany in 1923. In 1941, he immigrated to the United States and began living in New York City.

Military service

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Nicholas joined the United States Army in 1942, and was assigned to the Signal Corps ' Heavy Construction Battalion operating with British troops in Myanmar.

Education

Following the war, Nicholas was offered admission to the engineering program at Brown University, and he graduated in 1949. Shortly after graduation, he moved to San Francisco to begin his career at Sverdrup & Parcel.

Notable projects