October 6, 2006
Shannon formed the Seattle geotechnical and environmental consulting firm with Stan Wilson in 1954, and gained recognition for innovative engineering solutions to high-profile structures such as Rainier Tower and the Seattle First National Bank Building in downtown Seattle.
“He always knew what he wanted and he knew he was going to get there,” said Jan Dixon, a corporate executive assistant at Shannon & Wilson. “He and his partner, Stan, were always on the cutting edge.”
They grew the firm into a leader in its field, with eight offices around the United States. Shannon worked on projects in Alaska, Canada, Korea, Australia and Vietnam. He consulted on cofferdams, highways, railroads, de-watering and heavy and deep excavations.
The son of a civil engineer, Shannon received his bachelor's degree at the University of Washington School of Engineering and his master's from Harvard in 1937. After receiving his master's, he taught at Harvard's engineering school.
Shannon then worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. During World War II, he was responsible for foundation investigations and earthwork design for earth dams, airports, hospitals and waterfront structures. In 1946, he headed a special investigation on the stability of slopes in the Panama Canal.
In 1964, the Corps of Engineers hired Shannon & Wilson to investigate the Alaska earthquake, and that work resulted in the company's expansion into Alaska.
In 1969, Shannon designed the 70-foot-deep, tied-back shoring system for Minoru Yamasaki's 50-story Rainier Tower, which was the deepest tied-back shoring system at that time.
In the late 1960s, he helped form the Associated Soil and Foundation Engineers and was its first president. He was a founding member of Terra Insurance Group, which insured engineers at a time when liability insurance for most engineers was financially out of reach.
The Consulting Engineers Council of Washington named Shannon Engineer of the Year in 1975, and in 1987 he became an honorary member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
He retired from Shannon & Wilson in 1979, but remained a private consultant and retired from the profession in 1998. Wilson died in 1985.
“He had more energy in retirement than most of us had in our youth,” Dixon said. “He was just a totally upbeat person with tremendous respect for everybody. People always felt he listened and responded to them.”
Shannon is survived by his wife, Ellen, and three sons, 10 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and sister Patricia Davison. Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Acacia Memorial Park & Funeral Home, 14951 Bothell Way N.E.
