There are certain people that tend to be remembered and appreciated more than usual. Thursday night the Biola Board of Trustees will honor and recognize such a man, Hudd Saffell, who is retiring from the board after many years of faithful service.

Saffell has not only been a member of the board, he was also a key individual in molding and shaping Biola’s campus into the way it looks now. His contracting and construction company oversaw the building of current-day Soubirou Hall, Sigma Chi, and the revamped cafeteria.

The story of Saffell’s involvement with Biola University began long before he ever set foot on this campus. It begins at the end of World War II, when he and his friend returned home and were searching for work. They eventually hit on the idea of starting a construction firm. Neither of them had significant amounts of experience in the field, but both learned on the job and eventually grew into quite a large workforce, serving the greater Orange County area during the 1970s.

It was this reputation that brought Saffell to Biola. Glenn O’Neal, the dean of Talbot at the time, knew Saffell as a church friend, and introduced him to Biola. After bidding against several other contractors for the job, Saffell’s company was given the task of building the new Soubirou building, which would later house the nursing department.

“It was built before Metzger was,” recounts Ken Bascom, senior director of facilities planning/construction. “It served as the administrative office for advancement, accounting, and computing.”

The project was completed within 90 days, a torrential pace that still floors Bascom, then a wide-eyed young man, to this day.

“Soubirou really sticks in my mind because it was so fast,” he said.

The successful and efficient project eventually opened up the door for Hudd Saffell to step permanently into Biola lore, being given the reigns to oversee construction of the new Sigma Chi dorm, an expansion of the cafeteria, and the building of Metzger Hall.

Sigma and the cafeteria expansion both took place in 1977, a time when the campus was still so small that there was literally “nothing beyond Alpha Chi,” according to Bascom.

“It was open, unused land,” he said. “They didn’t have to tear anything down or build around anything.”

Bascom has always regarded Saffell with great respect and high regard. When the two first met in 1996, Bascom was a new employee at Biola who was just getting started.

“I kind of watched the projects and got to know him better during the Metzger project,” he said. “I’ve worked at Biola for 39 years, and most of it has been for construction management and planning. He was the first major contractor I worked with.

I’ve always judged subsequent contractors based on what I’ve learned from Hudd.”

Saffell’s involvement with Biola hasn’t only been limited to construction work, however. For the last 10 years, he has served on the Board of Trustees. During that time, Biola has seen many construction projects, and Saffell was never too far away. On all of the projects, he was always a constant source of advice, said Bascom.

Tonight, Hudd Saffell will be officially recognized for his years of service to this university. In many ways, whether they are in building a cornerstone of Biola’s campus or through his input in the Board of Trustees, his influence will be remembered.

Above all, he has always left an impression on his colleagues as a man of strong faith.

“I will miss him because of his great experience,” said Bascom. “He’s the kind of man who’s a good example of what a good Christian man should be.”

To this day, all of the buildings and projects Saffell oversaw are still standing. Soubirou still serves as home of the nursing department, the cafeteria still serves hundreds of students each day, and Metzger is still the great pantheon of academic information. Even as President Corey and the rest of the Board of Trustees recognize him tonight for his service to Biola as he steps down from his active role, those buildings will still remain; serving as a testament to the large imprint Hudd Saffell has left upon this campus.