Our Long, Proud History

Anderson & House Inc. has been serving commerce and industry since its beginning in 1906. Throughout its history, this company has proudly contributed to the growth of Oklahoma City, as well as other great cities in our nation. Attached is an appendix listing many major building projects completed by Anderson & House Inc. throughout its long-standing, proud history.

One of the original owners was, indeed, one of Oklahoma's finest builders, Mr. Archie O. Campbell. It was Archie O. Campbell who, in 1901, built Oklahoma City's first skyscraper, the five-story Culbertson Building. Later, Mr. Campbell formed a partnership with Mr. Thomas O'Keefe to construct Central High School in downtown Oklahoma City. Today, this majestic building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is the prestigious headquarters for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company.

In 1912, Mr. Campbell established another successful partnership with Mr. William E. Price, and, together, they became respected leaders within the ever-growing construction industry. Many notable buildings were created by these first two partnerships including the Kerr Building and the great Skirvin Tower Hotel. Both are solid testimonials to the early development of sound building practices still in use today.

After Archie Campbell's death in 1935, Mr. Price took on another distinguished partner, Mr. Frank J. Kern. In 1938, Mr. Price was elected president of the Oklahoma Builders Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America. This was a new name for a consolidation of the Oklahoma City and Tulsa AGC Chapters, and Mr. Kern was one of the pioneers who helped to incorporate the new chapter. The company thrived as Price and Kern Construction for nearly five years, until Mr. Kern's passing in 1940.

The year of 1940 brought a new name for the company, W. E. Price Construction Company, and a new partnership between Mr. Price and Mr. George A. Koegel, a former coworker of the late Archie O. Campbell. Mr. Koegel contributed to the company as bookkeeper and estimator until 1948, at which time the company was sold to Anderson & House Industrial Construction.

Mr. Fred Anderson and Mr. Harry House initially worked together during the construction of Tinker Air Force Base. Mr. Anderson acted as general superintendent and Mr. House as chief engineer for a joint venture consisting of C. M. Dunning Construction, Guy James Construction, and Patterson Steel.

From that beginning, Anderson and House formed a partnership called Industrial Construction, who's warranted success led to the acquisition of W. E. Price Construction.

After the purchase of W. E. Construction in 1948, the partnership of Anderson & House Industrial Construction moved into the offices at 1627 West Main Street in Oklahoma City, where the firm still operates today. Mr. Price still had some contracts to be completed when Anderson & House moved in, so two of Oklahoma's finest construction firms worked out of the same office for a few months. From their new location, Anderson & House built an impressive clientele including OKC Chamber of Commerce, Southwestern Bell Telephone, People's National Bank, First State Bank, University of Oklahoma and Sohio Petroleum, just to name a few.

In 1963, the partnership of Anderson & House Industrial Construction proudly became an Oklahoma Corporation. With Mr. House serving as president and Mr. Anderson serving as vice-president, Anderson & House Inc. continued their proven tradition, upholding the highest standard of construction. Many impressively large projects for shopping centers, banks, hotels, and schools, as well as various office buildings, were completed under their leadership.

Eventually, Mr. House retired in 1969. Mr. Anderson assumed the position of president, and Mr. James M. Howard became vice-president. When Mr. Anderson retired, in October of 1970, the corporation changed officers again. Mr. Howard became president and Mr. Dorsey B. Self, a carpenter and superintendent with the firm since 1956, became vice-president. As the company's management was passed to a new generation, the traditional quality of Anderson & House construction continued. Accomplishments included more banks, car dealerships, telephone buildings, medical facilities, and factories.

In 1983, Dorsey B. Self acquired all the outstanding stock of Anderson & House Inc. and became president and sole owner of the Corporation. In 1984, Mr. Don Goldsby, the company's estimator and a project manager since 1979, became a junior partner and assumed the position of vice-president. Oklahoma City's finest organizations, including Southwestern Bell, Oklahoma Natural Gas, AT&T, IGA, Fred Jones, Venture, Hobby Lobby, Kerr-McGee, Times Journal and Ralston Purina, and several new area banks, all turned to the time-proven professional quality of Anderson & House Inc.

In 1986, the development of the first portable, prefabricated concrete and brick structure called the Selco Building opened a new market for Anderson & House Inc., and led to a unique opportunity for a long-term contract with a long-standing customer. In need of quality, low-cost remote buildings, Southwestern Bell Telephone Company turned to Anderson & House Inc. yet again, this time with a long-term contract in 1988 to service all the company's future state-wide building needs.

In 1989, Mr. Goldsby was promoted to president of Anderson & House Inc., and Mr. Self stayed on as vice-president. Sadly, 1991 brought the loss of vice-president Dorsey Self, after a long battle with cancer. Mr. Goldsby became sole owner of the corporation. Later, in 1993, Chris Wilson and Ron Hixon, company employees since 1985, became corporate partners.

In October 1997, with the retirement of Don Goldsby, Chris Wilson became president and Ron Hixon became vice-president.

And again, tradition and pride are handed down to a new generation committed to upholding the company's long-standing reputation of excellence. Flourishing with the city, Anderson & House Inc. earned several new contracts for multiple building projects for major corporations including AT&T, Eckerd Drug Stores, Cox Communications and OKC School District.