Jim Rutherford
The Ada Rutherford Trust was established by James Rutherford as a lasting dedication to his mother.
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When Jim was only five, his father died and his mother was left to raise her two children single-handedly. Being a teacher, his mother held a very high regard for the importance of a good education and moved from Heriot to Timaru and then to Christchurch obtaining teaching positions close to where her sons could best further their education.
Jim graduated with a BE in Civil Engineering from the University Of Canterbury in Christchurch. After graduating he worked for a number of Christchurch engineering firms, before moving to London to study Architecture.
Whilst in London Jim commenced work with a small Danish company - Ove Arup. Arup were appointed as the design engineers for the Sydney Opera House and Jim assisted with some of the engineering when it was under construction in the 1960’s. Jim was invited to become a Partner in Ove Arup's West African offices – focussing on civil and structural engineering projects in a number of countries – such as Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Liberia. He oversaw a wide range of large building projects which included roads, bridges, office buildings, transport depots, universities, buildings for major hospitals, motor assembly plants, glass and paper factories. Along with two other partners, Jim cared for 450 staff and was proud of the fact that he developed the African office into one of the most profitable Arup offices worldwide. Jim's interest in architecture aided client relationships, resulting in architectural firms awarding Ove Arup many major engineering contracts. Today Arup is a major international company with 14,000 staff in 92 offices worldwide and has become renowned for its close collaboration with architects.
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After Jim left Arup he took time to enjoy his love of travel & photography as well as developing a keen interest in real estate. This led him to the United States where he purchased and refurbished apartments and condominiums in Denver Colorado, an apartment complex in Houston and constructed high class town houses.
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Jim put much of the success in his career down to combining his knowledge of architecture with his engineering expertise. In the late 90’s he began to discuss funding a Professor at the University of Canterbury who would establish a new Architectural-Engineering Masters course – something Jim wished had been available when he attended the University in the 1950s.
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At 84 years of age Jim lost a tenacious battle with melanoma. Before passing, he requested his nephew follow through with the implementation of the “Ada Rutherford Professorship in Architectural Engineering” dedicated to his mother and her tireless work in ensuring her sons got the best education. The Ada Rutherford Trust funded the Professorship and the new Masters course enrolled its first students in 2018. The Master of Architectural Engineering is the first of its type in New Zealand and will provide significant benefit to industry and hundreds of future students.