INSIDE CSI
Sheldon Wolfe, RA, FCSI, Distinguished Member, CCS, CCCA
One of the most treasured awards I have from CSI is the Ben John Small Memorial Award—only 11 people have received this accolade since it was first presented in 1996. Originally intended “to honor those who have achieved outstanding stature and proficiency as specifiers,” it is named after a charter member and president of the Metropolitan New York Chapter.
Ben was well-known as an educator; he was a frequent lecturer at Columbia University, Princeton University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute. He wrote columns for Pencil Points Magazine, which later became Progressive Architecture. Ben also wrote a number of books, including Architectural Practice, Building Check List, and Streamlined Specifications Standards. (I have two of these in my library.)
A couple of years after receiving the award, I was at the CSI office in Alexandria, Virginia, for an Institute board meeting. I recalled seeing an article about Ben in The Construction Specifier, but all I could remember was his son worked at the Smithsonian. I had a little extra time before my flight, so I went to the Smithsonian in hopes of meeting him.
I started my search at the information desk. “I’m looking for someone named ‘Small.’ Do you know where I could find him?”
With a somewhat stern look, the receptionist replied, “Mr. Small is on the hill today. What did you want to see him about?”
I told her the Small I was looking for might be Ben’s son. She asked for my phone number and said she would pass it on. And that, I thought, was that.
Photo courtesy Sheldon Wolfe
Later that day, as I was leaving for the airport, my cell phone rang.
“Is this Sheldon Wolfe?”
“Yes. What can I do for you?”
“This is Lawrence Small, secretary of the Smithsonian. I heard you stopped in to see me.”
You can imagine my surprise as I realized that this wasn’t just some guy who worked at the Smithsonian, but the boss!
He invited me to come back, but I didn’t have time. He told me to call him the next time I was in Washington. I took him up on his offer and called before the next board meeting. After greeting me on the first floor, he gave me a behind-the-scenes tour of the Castle—the administrative home of the Smithsonian. His office was a museum in itself, with a space suit, the Lone Ranger’s mask, a watch worn by an astronaut, and several other unique items on display. (How much fun would it be to decorate your office with the entire Smithsonian to draw from?!)
After talking about a controversial exhibit that included the nose of the Enola Gay, the B-29 used to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima (For more, see “Historians Protest New Enola Gay Exhibit.”), Lawrence told me an interesting story from the end of World War II that involved a pink cap, which was part of the “Price of Freedom” exhibit. (Additional information on the pink cap exhibit.) The cap belonged to Sandra Roche, who was born in 1945 in a Japanese internment camp in Weihsien, China (now Weifang) (A glimpse of the history of the Weihsien camp can be read online.) Food in the camp was inadequate, and Sandra developed rickets. The camp was liberated by seven American paratroopers on August 17, 1945—just three days after Japan surrendered. Sandra’s mother asked the paratroopers to sign the pink cap; she then used blue thread to embroider their signatures onto it.
And now, as Paul Harvey would say, “the rest of the story:” About 20 years later, Lawrence met Sandra, and they were married in 1967.
‘Best-kept secrets’ need to be shared
Awards often mean little to those who don’t belong to the group that presents them. As is the case with me and the Ben John Small Memorial Award, they are appreciated by members of the organization, and may event contribute to obtaining other awards or honors. However, they typically don’t have much impact on the recipient’s job or career. The reason, of course, is people outside of the organization don’t know about the awards. Since most people don’t blow their own horns, awards remain secret unless someone else does something to publicize them.
CSI has a great history of preaching to the choir. It’s fine to tell each other about what we’re doing or what we’ve done, but shouldn’t we also tell the rest of the world?
If you’re bringing in an expert, a top-notch speaker, or a celebrity to address a chapter meeting, spread the word! The construction community is the obvious target, but there are times when the general public should be invited. Many chapters have had a Frank Lloyd Wright impersonator speak, but how many have reached out to those beyond the construction industry and invited them? (FLW has many fans who aren’t in the building world.)
Promoting outside the chapter or region also applies to awards and honors. Awards committees at all levels should make notification part of their process. In most cases, it could be as simple as telling the recipient’s boss about the award. My preference would be to use a card or a letter, but even an e-mail would work. For more important awards, a press release could be sent to local newspapers.
Awards acknowledge the contributions of members within the organization, but they also can be a positive influence on members’ careers.
This year, CSI will hold its annual CSI Honors & Awards Ceremony, followed by the Celebration of Fellows, on Thursday, September 14 at CONSTRUCT in Providence, Rhode Island. Join us as we celebrate the talents, achievements, and notable contributions of our fellow members. Learn more about attending the event at www.constructshow.com, or about the Honors and Awards program at www.csiresources.org/honorsandawards.
Sheldon Wolfe, RA, FCSI, Distinguished Member, CCS, CCCA, has been a specifier with BWBR in St. Paul, Minnesota, for more than 20 years, and an architect for nearly four decades. His experience includes 10 years in the public sector and work at firms ranging in size from two to 150; his projects have included medical, correctional, educational, and wastewater treatment facilities. Wolfe has written more than 400 articles about construction-related subjects, and is also a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for The Construction Specifier. His work appears on two blogs: swconstructivethoughts.blogspot.com along with swspecificthoughts.blogspot.com.
