Partnership
Two suitcases and one man Life is a game and this – working and studying – is my way of playing it, Kalevi Hyyrynen used to say. The Aalto alumnus, who remembered his alma mater generously in his will, was keen on learning new things throughout his life. Text: Riikka Hopiavaara Photos: Kalevi Hyyrynen’s private collection
Kalevi Hyyrynen also completed a Master’s degree in Worcester, Massachusetts. This picture was taken at his US home in 1976, and on the wall is a Finnish ryijy picture tapestry. Mother Hyyrynen had one made for each of her sons.
T
he phone call from the United States came in the summer of 1970. His would-be employer was wondering why Kalevi Hyyrynen wasn’t at work. He discovered that the necessary work permit had been forgotten on the desk of the authorities for quite some time, leaving Hyyrynen just one week to sell his car, radio and other possessions before taking off. Hyyrynen packed two suitcases and went out into the world. There was no money for a taxi, so Hyyrynen himself schlepped his luggage through New York to the bus terminal. Little did he know that, later in life, he’d be packing suitcases full of silver coins to bring back.
Interested in technology and electricity Kalevi Hyyrynen was the second-oldest son of a family with four children. As a child, he skied, played soccer and built things. His hands we’re always working on some project. A soapbox turned into a functioning radio and building waste into a hut. Hyyrynen also built a crystal set, i.e. a simple radio receiver. In 1962, Hyyrynen received a muchexpected letter at home in the small South Karelian village of Taavetti. Applying for a place at the Helsinki University of Technology had been a natural choice for a young man with his interests. Despite every effort, he could not land a permanent job after graduating. One rejection letter after another popped in the mailbox, always citing lack of expe36 / AALTO UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 27
‘Kal’ Hyyrynen (on the right) played ice hockey with his workmates, usually settling into a defender role.
rience as the reason. As a student, he’d gotten to know Finns who had moved to the United States. What if I go there for a while and build up some professional experience, he thought. His original idea had been to stay at the nuclear plant for a few years at most, but as time passed, Hyyrynen forgot about returning to Finland. The house he bought in the state of Massachusetts became his home for the rest of his life.
Soccer and ice hockey
He settled into life in his new homeland. His job made him responsible for the electrical planning design of alteration works carried out at power plants belonging to the Yankee Atomic Electric Company. He also completed a Master’s in electrical engineering at the local Worcester Polytechnic Institute alongside his professional duties. Hyyrynen, known to his American