government positions held by, I 54, 203
grandchildren of, 2 3 5-36
Grove associations made by, 14-I7
Hammer and, I48
humor lacked by, I39-40
Indian misadventure of, 136-37
independence asserted by, 14 2
Indonesian operation and, 157-59
Indonesian operation and, 157
intelligence activities of, ll2, ll6-l9,
Libyan pipeline deals and, I4 7-48,
I2I-23, I25
I5I
Kaiser disliked by, 44n, 6I
260
INDEX
Kearns and, 154, 156-57, 159-60,
Steve senior compared with, 49-50,
164, 165
71, 76
McCone and, 51-54, 71-72, 98-100,
Steve senior employed by, 48-49
104, 108, 112, 138-39
workers hired by, 22-23
managerial skill of, 72-73, 95
youth of, 18-19,49
manslaughter charge against, 4 7-48
Bechtel, Warren A., Jr., 20, 24, 26
Nixon administration and, 154,
background of, 46
156-57, 159-60
in dam construction, 30
nuclear power and, 99, 160, 206
Steve senior’s relationship with, 49-50
oil construction packages of, 53-55
wartime activities of, 59, 70
personal wealth of, 14n, 70, 71-72,
Bechtel BrothersMcCone, 72
128
Bechtel Canada, Ltd, 220
physical appearance of, 4 7
S. D. Bechtel Company, 50, 66
in pipeline construction, 48, 51,
W A. Bechtel Company, 22, 28, 53-54
52-53,61-66,77-80,83-86,
Alaska pipeline and, 62, 66
107, 115
dams built by, 30, 46n
Reagan and, 214-15
in shipbuilding, 58
retirement of, 142
Bechtel Corporation, 12n, 22
Saudi dealings of, 81-82, 83-86,
anti-Semitism of, 79n, 85, 87n, 175,
89-92, 95-96, 210
183-84, 186-87
in shipbuilding, 57-59, 61-62, 75,
Arab Boycott and, 183-90, 192-96,
l lO
197, 209, 223
in shipping business, 96-97
bribes paid by, 140-41
Shultz and, 166-67, 169-71, 179,
in chemical and nuclear waste
217
cleanups, 201n-2n, 223-24
Simpson as door-opener for, 75-76
corporate headquarters of, 14 2
Snodgrass and, 119-22
discrimination against women and
son compared with, 139-40, 141
blacks by, 191-92, 213
on son’s succession, 132-34
diversification of, 220, 233
stamp collection of, 128
executives of, 73-76
surprise 50th birthday party for, 94
financial success of, 127, 136, 153-54,
Weinberger and, 180, 218
156, 238-39
W illow Run and, 66, 69
future leadership of, 2 34-38
Bechtel, Warren A. (“Dad”):
Indonesian operations of, 12, 78n, 95,
Boulder Dam construction and, 28,
119, 157-59, 237
29-30,32-34, 36-38,40,46n
intelligence activities of, 16-17, 113,
building company of, 22-24, 25—
115, 118-19, 121-25
28
labor problems of, 105-6
cattle and corn venture of, 19-20
Libyan operations of, 12, 143, 145-51,
death of, 45-46, 49, 58, 169
152, 169
engineering and managerial skills of,
major contracts awarded to, 73, 94-95
21, 22-23, 27
Mining and Metals Division of,
financial success of, 24-25, 28, 126
170-71, 237
heritage of, 18, 19
nuclear plants built by, 12,15-16,
irrigation projects undertaken by, 23
104-6, Il l , 153-54, 158n-59n,
Kaiser and, 26-28, 29-30
160, 167-68, 185, 197-203,
musical talent of, 19, 20
205-7, 215, 222-23, 226-28
nickname of, 28
in nuclear power, 102-7, 110-l l ,
physical appearance of, 25
224-25
pipeline construction and, 26, 28
press attacks on, 190-91
questionable enterprises of, 25
Saudi operations of, 12, 78n, 81-82,
railroad employment of, 20-24, 26
85-92,95-9� 121, 188n,208-l�
reminiscences of, 18
222, 230
261
FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES
Bechtel Corporation (cont.)
atomic research at, 102-3
Schultz’s position with, 169-73, 174,
Berlin blockade, 112
178-79, 181, 186, 206, 211-13,
Bierce, Ambrose, 13, 21
217-18, 219-22, 231
Birmingham News, 67
Soviet projects of, 160-63, 167, 169,
Black, James B.:
228
in nuclear power, 102, 104
Steve junior’s succession in, 131-34,
Steve senior’s friendship with, 76-77
170
Black Canyon, 35, 36, 48-49
sweetheart clients of, 76-77
blacks:
ties between Nixon and, 16, 152-54,
in Alaska pipeline construction, 62
156-61, 165
Bechtel’s discrimination against, 191—
Weinberger’s position with, 174,
192
178-82, 183, 189,212-14,
in Boulder Dam construction, 41 n
217-18
construction industry discrimination
Bechtel family, Christmas celebrated by,
against, 166
126-27, 128-29, 134
Blough, Roger, 107
Bechtel Foundation, 128n
Bohemian Club, 13, 71
Bechtel Group, 11, 54, 217
Bohemian Grove, 77, 106, 168, 173, 188
financial difficulties of, 16-17,
business relationships established at, 14
229-34
members of, 13-17
founding of, 12
serious aspect of, 13 -14
Grove associations valuable to, 14-16
Bonelli, W illiam, 176
hotels built by, 12, 15, 106
Bonneville Dam, 44
interests and political connections of,
Bork, Robert L., 188-89
12, 16, 17
Borman, Frank, 15
pipelines built by, 12, 15
Borman, Thomas, 89-90
press relations of, 12-13; 17
firing of, 91-92
private ownership of, 13 -14
intelligence activities of, 114
size of, 12
Bostwick, Donald T., 163-64
Bechtel-Kaiser Enterprises, 48
Boulder Dam, 118
BechtelMcCone Corporation, 46n, 76,
Bechtels in construction of, 12, 15,
130
28, 29-30, 32-34, 36-38,40,
Alaska pipeline and, 62, 66
46n,48-49
dissolution of, 71-72
builders interested in, 30-3 3
oil company construction by, 54-55,
concrete poured at, 41-42
58, 66, 120-21
consortium formed for construction of,
organization of, 53-54
32-34
Philippine operations of, 59-60
dedication of, 42
in shipbuilding, 57, 60, 95
difficulties in construction of, 3 5 -40
W illow Run managed by, 67-70
estimated cost of, 3 3 -34
World War II profits of, 69-70
Kaiser’s obsession with, 29-30
BechtelMcCone-Parsons (BMP), 47n,
purpose of, 29, 43
54n
renaming of, 4 3
Bechtel Power Corporation, 224, 230n
site of, 35, 36, 48-49
Bechtelsville, Pa., 18n
steel used in, 52-53
Beck, Clifford, 199-200
strikes at, 39
Becan Construction Company, 220, 236
Boumedienne, Houari, 172
Bedouins, 87-88
Bowles, Chester, 136
Begin, Menachem, 221
Bowman Dam, 30
Bell, Griffin, 193n
Brady, Nicholas F., 14-15
ben Halim, Mustafa, 145-50
Brazil, 160, 199, 202, 205-6, 223
Berkeley, University of California at , 26,
Brezhnev, Leonid, 161
47-48, 52, 128n, 214-15
Bridge Builders, Inc., 44n-45n
262
INDEX
Bridges, David, 180
China, People’s Republic of, 228
Bridges, Robert L., 46n, 73, 77, 104,
Christopher, George, 177
132, 171, 180-81
Church, Frank, 162-63
British Petroleum (BP), 79n, 96, 115
Churchill, Winston, 56, 179
British Purchasing Commission (BPC),
Clark, William, 228
56-58
Clarke, Buzz, 114
Broadway Tunnel, 50-51, 140, 141
Clausen, Alden W, 15
Brown, Harry, 104
Clay, Lucius, l l2, 138
Brown, Pat, 176
Indian fertilizer plants and, 136-3 7
Brown and Root, 152
Colorado River, Boulder Dam
Buckley, William F., 13
construction and, 34-35, 39, 42
Bureau of Public Roads, U.S., 26
Commerce Department, U.S., 154-55,
Burns, Arthur, 216
185, 187
Bush, George, 13,
