Pape-Dawson Engineers celebrates 50th anniversary

In August 2015, Pape-Dawson Engineers, Inc., will celebrate its 50th year providing professional engineering services. With offices in San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth, the company has an extensive resume of successful, high-profile projects throughout the state of Texas. 
 
Gus Pape and Gene Dawson, Sr. founded Pape-Dawson Engineers on August 1, 1965. With the goal of providing quality civil engineering services with a high level of integrity, the pair did all of their own engineering, surveying, drafting, computations, and handwriting of field notes, while Lily Pape, Gus’s wife, served as the company’s first office manager. 
 
Now under the leadership of Gene Dawson, Sr.’s sons, Gene Dawson, Jr. and Sam Dawson, the company provides professional engineering consulting services to the public and private sectors in the technical areas of transportation, water resources, land development, environmental and surveying. Pape-Dawson Engineers has grown from its original staff of three, to one of the largest engineering firms in Texas. 
 
“Pape-Dawson is unique because of our people,” said Gene Dawson, Jr., president of Pape-Dawson Engineers. “We have many long-term employees who have made a tremendous impact on our company and the communities in which they live and work. It’s these people that make our company great, and without them, we couldn’t produce our projects on a daily basis.” 
 
Pape-Dawson Engineers has an extensive resume of successful, high-profile projects in the San Antonio area including Texas Research Park, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, La Cantera Resort, Westover Hills, the AT&T Center, and the 1,000 room J.W. Marriott San Antonio Resort and Spa and TPC Golf Course. The company also served as project civil engineer on corporate expansion facilities including Valero Energy, Citicorp, USAA, Clear Channel Communications and Chase Bank. 
 
From the beginning, Pape-Dawson Engineers has been committed to the communities they serve. The company funds endowed scholarships at several Texas public universities and donates significantly to a number of nonprofit organizations throughout the state. In 2014, Pape-Dawson employees donated a total of $101,716 to the company’s United Way campaign. 
 
As part of Pape-Dawson’s 50th anniversary celebration, the company will donate $150,000 to deserving Texas nonprofits selected by Pape-Dawson employees. 
 
“I often tell people that if all we do at Pape-Dawson is produce plans, what a failure we will be,” said Sam Dawson, Chief Executive Officer of Pape-Dawson Engineers. “Life is bigger than plans, bigger than projects. It’s about having an impact on the community. If we can touch lives, I consider our company a success.” 
 
With Sam’s son Taylor and Gene’s son Trey poised to lead the family business into the next generation, Pape-Dawson Engineers plans to build upon its strong foundation for years to come. 

“I see bigger, brighter, and more wonderful days ahead, but with the same values that we’ve had in the past. We will look back on our foundation and use it as a springboard into the future,” said Sam Dawson.

To learn more about Pape-Dawson Engineers, Inc. and the firm's 50th anniversary, please visit  http://www.pape-dawson.com/portfolio/50th.php.