Partners: network

Richard Elstner, Jack Raymond Janney, Jack Wiss

Active 1956-

In 1956, engineer Jack Raymond Janney (1924-2006) founded the firm Janney and Associates in Glenview, IL. A year later, Jack Wiss (d. 1981) partnered with Janney to form "Wiss and Janney Associates." Richard (Dick) Elstner (d. 1996) joined the duo in 1959, and two years later the company reformed to become "Wiss, Janney, Elstner, Associates Incorporated" (WJE). The United States Gypsum Company purchased WJE in 1973; by this point, the firm had become expert in structural failure analysis using scale models to recreate building accidents. After 1973, the firm began using computers to model structural failures rather than butilizing scale models. WJE became involved in the renovation of the Woolworth Building's masonry exterior cladding in 1977, providing it large-scale experience in renovation of building envelopes. Between 1973 and 1979, WJE grew from 25 employees to over 80. Reflecting this growth, branch offices were opened in San Francisco (1977) and Honolulu (1979). The firm became employee-owned in 1989. WJE operated in Seattle, WA, c. 2007. Tel: (206) 622-1441. In 2015, the firm advertised its engineering, architectural and materials science services.

PCAD id: 3140