Résumé

Service, US Navy, c. 1962.

Soon after moving to Portland, OR, in 1964, he worked for two architectural firms in the city, before organizing his own firm with two partners.

Partner, Office of Charles Colburn, George Sheldon and Kenneth Kaji, Portland, OR, 1969-

Partner, SES Architects, Portland, OR, 1970s-1980s.

Partner, SERA Architects, Incorporated, 1980s- present.

Professional Activities

Member, City of Portland, Planning Commission, c. 1974-1978. He served as chair in 1974. Sheldon played an active role in the planning and historic preservation communities of Portland during the 1970s and 1980s. His progressive activism has served as inspirational to younger Portlanders. According to Chet Orloff's biographical article on Sheldon in the Oregon Encyclopedia.org: "In 2015, Sheldon was the catalyst for Portland Forward, a group organized to involve younger people in ensuring that Portland thrives as a well-planned and equitable city." (See Chet Orloff, Oregon Encyclopedia.com, "Bing Sheldon (1934-2016)," accessed 06/01/2018.) Parallels could be made between Sheldon's civic activism in Portland to that of Victor Steinbrueck and Frederick Bassetti in Seattle, WA.

Founding Member, Portland Forward Board of Directors, Portland, OR.

Chair, Long Range Planning Committee, Portland, OR.

Member, Vancouver National Historic Reserve Trust, Founding Board, Vancouver, WA.

Member, City of Portland, Historic Landmarks Commission, Portland, OR, late 1980s.

Professional Awards

Fellow, American Institute of Architects (FAIA), 1999.

Multnomah County declared that 06/13/2013 would be known as "Bing Sheldon Day."

Recipient, Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors, First Citizen Award, Portland, OR, 2014.

College

B.S., Economics, Tufts University, Boston, MA, 1956.

M.Arch., Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, MA, 1961.

Relocation

Born in Boston, George Sheldon resided there through his college years. After graduating from Harvard University in 1961, he and his family traveled to Copenhagen, where he worked for three years, c. 1961-1964. On his return to the US, he decided to relocate to Portland, OR, where he spent the bulk of his working career.

During the last five years of his life, he suffered from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a degenerative lung condition. He passed away at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center in Portland, OR, at the age of 81.

Spouse

He married Carolyn Sheldon.

Children

He and Carolyn had three children: Jonathan Yon, Graham and Lory.

Biographical Notes

He went by the nickname, "Bing."

Founding Member, Central City Concern, Portland, OR, 1979. This group sought to provide assistance to those plagued by substance addiction, and to help the homeless.

Member, Oregon League of Conservation Voters Board of Directors, Portland, OR.

Member, Children First for Oregon, Board of Trustees, Portland, OR.

Member, Mount Hood Cultural Center and Museum; he served as president of this organization in 1974.

He and his family maintained a weekend house on Mount Hood. (See Oregon Live.com, "George Crosby "Bing" Sheldon Jr.," accessed 06/01/2018.)

• Boston, MA (Architect's Birth)
  Boston, MA

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• Portland, OR (Architect's Death)
  Portland, OR

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