How do you get from Algona, Iowa to Aiken, South Carolina? If you are John Oakland, you travel via Nigeria, Abu Dhabi, England, and several other stops along the way.
After graduating from Iowa State University in 1963, John set out to see the world. He joined the Peace Corps and was assigned to teach chemistry, physics, and math at a Nigerian Boarding School. Oakland said, “Nigerian families saved money to send their brightest son to school.” According to Oakland, the academic standards were high, and he taught calculus to high school students. He further explained, “Once a young man completed his education, it is expected that he would find work and support the entire family.” While John was completing his two-year obligation to the Peace Corps, he was offered a position by Bechtel, an international engineering, construction, and project firm.
John’s next move was to Officer Candidate School and he was commissioned in the Coast Guard. In 1968 he reported to a shipyard in Galveston, Texas; this proved to be the most important stop in his life. It was there that he met Patricia “Patty” Yankee. While Patty was initially reluctant to go on a date, he was able to charm the lovely southern belle and they married in 1970.
After completing his obligation to the Coast Guard, John started his career with Bechtel. He worked on a variety of projects before he took on a position in Abu Dhabi. The Oaklands are quick to say that the Abu Dhabi they found in 1973 bears no resemblance to the luxurious vacation destination of today. Access to electricity was rotated throughout the city in four-hour increments due to the limited power generation. While living in 125-degree weather would be a challenge for anyone, Patty did so while pregnant with their second daughter, Nicole. Patty said, “I gave birth to Nicole at home in the dark.” With John at her side, the doctor successfully delivered Nicole by light from a lantern. Patty smiled and said, “The midwife had to weigh Nicole on a fish scale.”
After three years in Abu Dhabi, the Oakland family moved to cooler temperatures in the village of Sunningdale near Windsor, England. While John oversaw the construction of a deepwater drilling platform in the North Sea, Patty focused on raising their two daughters and volunteering in her community during the three-year assignment.
Oakland’s career continued to flourish with ever more challenging domestic and international assignments. In Kuwait, he oversaw the rebuild of the Kuwait Oil Company oil and gas facilities destroyed by Saddam Hussein. Oakland said, “On that project, we had 37 nationalities represented.” Under Oakland’s leadership, the project was completed in a year, no small feat considering the Kuwaiti government had estimated it to be a five-year project.
While Patty admits to being homesick for her Texas family and friends, she said they made wonderful friends with other Bechtel families on each project. Almost all were far away from home and the projects were always very demanding. The spouses bonded to support each other and their children. This provided for an instant sense of community.
In 1995, John Oakland was named the President of Bechtel Savannah River Inc. In this role, he oversaw the roughly 3000 men and women working in engineering, construction, project control, and project management for the Savannah River Site (SRS).
John’s assignment to SRS meant yet another move, and again Patty was an avid volunteer. She rapidly gained the reputation of someone others wanted to add to their teams. She supported the local American Red Cross. She worked on special fundraising projects such as “The Still Magnolia” calendar for the Aiken Area Council on Aging and the “Horseplay” project that benefitted the Aiken Center for the Arts. With her friends, she entertained in three of the four “Aiken Dancing with the Stars” shows to benefit the Community Medical Center and the Child Advocacy Center.
During the eight years John worked at SRS, he invested his time and knowledge in various community projects. One project that he is particularly proud of is his association with the Ruth Patrick Science Center. He said, “I saw a list of items Bob Alexander wanted, and he needed a telescope. Astronomy is one of my hobbies and I wanted to make it happen.” After scheduled evening planetarium shows, visitors can visit the Bechtel Telescope, a 16” Meade telescope purchased by the Bechtel Savannah River Inc. and the Bechtel Foundation. John also actively fundraised for the Aiken Community Theater. Today, the Bechtel Experimental Theater, sometimes known as the Black Box, showcases specialty performances.
John’s retirement in 2003 gave this busy couple a chance to travel to places they never saw during their years with Bechtel. Their home has beautiful artifacts from an African trip they shared, and they have traveled around the world to see family and friends.
Retirement hasn’t slowed John down. He is an active Rotarian and works very hard on the Scholarship and Mentoring Committees. He was tapped to help develop the curriculum for the four-year engineering degree at USCA. He works on behalf of Rye Patch as well as the Aiken County Library. His reputation as a strong but fair leader led to his role as the Chair of the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission.
Having lived around the world, one wonders why this active couple chooses to remain in Aiken. Patty said, “This feels like home.” John further explained, “We can get anywhere we need to be from here. We have mild seasons and we live in a beautiful area. We have relationships here.”
There is no doubt that John and Patty Oakland love living in their adopted home of Aiken, South Carolina. Given all they have done, and continue to do for our city, Aiken is very fortunate to have them here.
