John W. Russell '67, W. Selkirk Owen Award Recipient

John W. Russell '67

2019 W. SELKIRK OWEN AWARD RECIPIENT

The Webb Alumni Association is pleased to present the fifty-fourth William Selkirk Owen Award to John W. Russell, in Tacoma, Washington, on November 1, 2019.

John graduated from Webb in 1967 and then headed north to attend Harvard Business School. Following his graduation from Harvard Business School, John returned to Portland as General Manager and, eventually, Partner of Melvin Mark Properties, which at the time was the largest owner of office space in Oregon.

John was a partner in the redevelopment of two significant historic buildings and a new 250,000sf Class A office building, which opened at 100 percent occupancy with no pre-leasing.

John sold out his interest in the Mark properties in 1979 to form his own company. John developed the 500,000sf Pacwest Center as headquarters for an Oregon-based bank. John selected Hugh Stubbins, the architect of Citicorp Center in New York City, to be the building’s architect. The building achieved a remarkable success in the marketplace, and in 1997 The Wall Street Journal named Pacwest Center one of the ten top towers in America.

In late 1988, John purchased the 400,000sf 200 Market Building from Prudential Insurance Company. The building was completely abated of asbestos and returned to full occupancy by 1992. Its occupancy has averaged nearly 99 percent during Russell’s 25-year ownership. In 2006, the building became the first existing multi-tenanted building in America to receive a LEED rating for its environmental excellence. In 2010 the building received the Platinum (highest) LEED rating.

John currently owns five historic buildings in the Skidmore/Old Town Historic District, including the oldest (1857) and second oldest (1859) commercial buildings in Portland. He is a trustee emeritus and past Chairman of the Board of Webb Institute, and a member of the New York Yacht Club.

John married Mary Fellows in 1980. They have three children and six grandchildren, all living close in Portland.

The Webb Alumni Association is pleased to honor John W. Russell for his outstanding achievements and service to his profession and his Alma Mater.

The Class of 2020 at the Annual Alumni Banquet in Tacoma, Washington.