ENR California is pleased to announce that C. Terry Dooley, a 63-year construction executive honored for his contributions to the advancement of seismic repair and retrofit techniques, will receive the Legacy Award for 2017.

Dooley began his career at Bethlehem Steel, spending 26 years with the construction division doing structural steel, reinforcing bar and completing transmission tower subcontracting in the western states. He helped build bridges in California and the Pacific Northwest as well as high-voltage transmission towers across Arizona. He was also involved in the building of the earliest ductile moment-resisting space frames in reinforced concrete in Los Angeles.

In 1981, Dooley joined Morley Builders of Santa Monica. His projects included the Powell Library seismic upgrade and architectural restoration project at UCLA, the seismic base isolation of Rockwell (now Boeing) Building 80 in Seal Beach and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. 

Dooley is currently director emeritus of the Los Angeles chapter of ACE Mentor Program, a national program that introduces high school students to career possibilities in architecture, construction and engineering. Dooley founded the LA chapter in 2002 and the program now serves about 400 students and 100 mentors. 

"Ever since Terry Dooley founded ACE Los Angeles 15 years ago, he has been tirelessly dedicated to the organization and to its students," says Lori Guidry, president of Development Industries and past chairman of ACE LA. "It’s difficult to put into words the impact that Terry has had, but he has also been a mentor, a role model and an inspiration to myself and to all who have been honored to work with him."

The American Society of Civil Engineers named Dooley a Fellow and the co-winner of its 1991 Award for Innovation in Civil Engineering (for Rockwell Building 80). He is an honorary member of the American Concrete Institute, and a recipient of its Corbetta Award, and is an honorary member of the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California. 

The Legacy Awards are given annually by ENR regional editors to an individual who has achieved a lifetime legacy of service in design and construction, and who has given above and beyond to his or her profession and communities. Dooley will receive his award as part of an ENR-CA breakfast event on Oct. 11 that will also acknowledge this year’s regional Best Projects. The event will be held at 8 a.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Los Angeles Downtown Hotel.