Our history.
The Early Years
Sims, Cornelius & Schooley was founded in 1944 by John Schooley, a former State Architect of Ohio; Ray Sims, a successful architect and structural engineer; and Bert Cornelius, a mechanical engineer. Civic and public projects, were their focus, and during that first decade, a passion for historic preservation and renovation was cultivated. For example, in the mid-50s we were awarded our first project for the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department (CRPD), the Whetstone Recreation Center. We have continued to do projects for CRPD, the most recent being the renovation to the former damkeeper’s house along the Scioto River, now known as the Gregory S. Lashutka Event Center.
In 1954 John P. Schooley, Jr. joined his father at our firm and helped shape our culture for the next four decades; his passion for design excellence is his legacy.
The Second Generation
The 60s and 70s brought some big changes to our firm. John, Jr. was made a principal in 1962 and after the passing of Ray Sims, the firm’s name was changed to Schooley Cornelius Schooley. With the passing of John, Sr. in 1969, the firm changed names again to Schooley Cornelius Associates. Bob Caldwell joined us in 1962, starting a 37-year career that brought a penchant for quality control that continues to influence our firm. During this period, several of our past leaders — Bob Loversidge, Rob Smith, Jayne Vandenburgh, Tom Matheny, and Terry Sullivan — joined the firm.
The Third Generation
Bob Loversidge was named president and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 1998, leading the firm through the renovation of four historic state capitol buildings, including our very own. In 2018, Sam Rosenthal was promoted to Executive Vice President and Melinda Shah as Vice President (VP). Bob, in his role as CEO, worked closely with Sam and Melinda on a smooth leadership transition that has allowed the firm to continue moving forward with a diverse and design-centered culture. In addition, this structure allowed each of our principals to pursue their goals as design professionals, while also having specific management responsibilities. In 2019 Sam was promoted to President and Melinda to COO. Bob continued in his role as CEO, and the three worked closely together to manage the firm.
The Fourth Generation
Today the firm is managed by a leadership team of five, with collaboration at the heart of all decisions. Keoni Fleming, Kalpa Baghasingh, and Paula Ryan have joined Sam and Melinda in guiding the firm. Schooley Caldwell remains committed to providing excellent service to our clients while working to mentor future architects. This leadership team is embracing the opportunity for growth and innovation, addressing sustainable design, and committing to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the profession.