John T. Merrifield and Virginia Broderson attended Oregon State College and earned degrees in 1941 (Virginia) and 1942 (John). They were married in 1942. After serving in the Navy during World War II, John returned to Corvallis to work as an engineer at the CH2M engineering firm, where Virginia was also employed as a secretary. In 1948, the Merrifields moved to Portland where John began a long and distinguished career as a civil engineer with the firm of Moffatt, Nichol, and Taylor Structural Engineers. During his career, he designed a number of prominent structures in Portland, including the Memorial Coliseum, Morrison Bridge, Hilton Hotel, and Good Samaritan Hospital. John was active and held leadership positions in several professional engineering organizations, including the Structural Engineers of Oregon, the Oregon Building Congress, and the American Society of Civil Engineers. John retired in 1989 as a vice president of Moffatt, Nichol, and Bonney. Virginia died in January 2007 and John in October 2007.
From the guide to the John T. and Virginia E. Merrifield Collection, 1916-2008, 1945-1990, (Oregon State University Libraries)
