Eight Men Inducted Into Builders’ Hall of Fame

Eight men who have been prominent in California’s home construction industry were inducted Wednesday, one posthumously, into a first statewide Hall of Fame sponsored by the California Building Industry Assn., during the annual Pacific Coast Builders Conference in San Francisco.

The awards were made to Emmett S. Clifford, the Clifford Group, Fremont; William Lyon, the William Lyon Co., Newport Beach; George M. Pardee, Hoyt S. Pardee and J. Douglas Pardee, Pardee Construction Co., Los Angeles; Paul C. Petersen, Whitecliff Homes, San Mateo; Harry L. Summers, Harry L. Summers Inc., La Jolla, and Edwin C. Kimmel (posthumously), Northern Division of Lewis Homes of California, Sacramento.

“These individuals have contributed significantly to the advancement of the building industry through service to the industry, its associations and their community,” said George Gentry, Hall of Fame chairman.

Clifford has been active in building industry organizations at the local, state and national level since 1967. He was founding chairman of the Building Industry Assn. of Northern California.

Lyon was named Builder of the Year in 1983 by Professional Builder magazine and is also chairman of AirCal airlines. He is a general in the Air Force reserve.

The three Pardee brothers have built more than 30,000 houses since they formed their company in 1948. It merged with Weyerhaeuser Co. in 1969.

Founder of Whitecliff Homes more than 35 years ago, Petersen is a lifetime director of the National Assn. of Home Builders and is one of the founders of the Pacific Coast Builders Conference.

Since 1952, Summers has built more than 20,000 housing units, including many in the 5,900-acre master-planned community of Rancho Bernardo in San Diego--a project conceived and directed by Summers.

Kimmel, who died last year, was one of the founding partners of Lewis Homes, Upland, one of California’s largest home builders.