BSA acquired new property near Beckley, West Virginia, for a new high adventure base in 2009. Bechtel donated $50 million towards the new base, which has been named The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve. Philanthropy Bechtel was a contributor to many environmental causes. He created a foundation in 1957 to support these cases. The foundation contributed $50 million to create a National Scout Reserve in southern West Virginia, which is now the home of the national boy scout jamboree. The foundation contributed $25 million to renovate the Presidio of San Francisco. The S. D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation and the Stephen Bechtel Fund support many non-profit groups, especially in the San Francisco Bay area. Stephen and Betty's largess also extended to Berkeley's International House, Mills College, Achievement Rewards for College Scientists, the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Ballet, the Head Royce School, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the Royal Horticultural Society, the American Friends of the Royal Academy Trust, the Nature Conservancy, the Royal Oak Foundation, the Huntington Library, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Awards and honors Bechtel was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1990. He is the 1980 recipient of the Hoover Medal, which commemorates the civic and humanitarian achievements of engineers. In 1990, he was elevated to National Honor Member by Chi Epsilon, the national civil engineering honor society. In 1998, he and his son Riley were presented with the Honor Award from the National Building Museum for their company's contributions to the built environment. Bechtel received the Award of Excellence from Engineering News-Record for his leadership of Bechtel Corporation. He received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 1991, from the then US President, George H. W. Bush. Personal life Bechtel and his wife, Betty, had two sons and three daughters. One son, Riley Bechtel, succeeded him as the chairman and chief executive of the Bechtel Corporation. He was a nature enthusiast and hiker who had once made the trek to the Everest base camp and had also hiked the John Muir Trail over a 211 mile course. Bechtel died on March 15, 2021, at his home in San Francisco, California. He was aged 95. Books See also List of billionaires References External links National Academy of Engineering: 1999 Founders Award Recipient 2005 Silver Buffalo Awards Fact Sheet: Distinguished Eagle Scout Award "Stephen Bechtel