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James “Jim” P. Roubal, co-founder and founding engineer of Omaha global integrated design firm DLR Group, died at age 94 on April 23 in the city.
Roubal teamed up with architects Iving Dana and Bill Larson to form AE in a 12-by-12-square-foot basement in Omaha in 1966, with the company now employee-owned since growing to more than 1,800 employees in 36 offices worldwide and reporting 2025 revenues of $536 million at No. 1. List of 500 design companies
Born in 1931 in Grand Island, Neb., and raised in Central City, Roubal graduated from the University of Nebraska with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1953. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Corps from 1953 to 1955, with assignments that included covert investigation of search devices at construction sites.
After his military service and working for Mobil Oil in Kansas City, Missouri, Roubal joined Leo A. Daly Co. in 1957 as a mechanical engineer, where he met his future partners. .
DLR Group notes that Roubal worked to bring air conditioning to the Nebraska State Capitol in the early 1960s, developing a solution that used existing ventilation ducts to preserve its architecture while offering high performance, the company notes.
Its other projects include the headquarters of Blue Cross Blue Shield and Physicians Mutual Insurance in Omaha, and Tekamah Elementary School, which was DLR Group’s first official project and launched its work in K-12 education design, the company says.
Marking his 60sth anniversary on April 1, DLR Group said Roubal’s advocacy for engineering and integrated design is seen in other projects, including the Ismaili Center in Houston, for which the company served as architect and engineer of record, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where it undertook a multi-phase transformation involving 13 disciplines and internal services, and Winder Baoshan Tower in China, and the Wind Baoshan Complex in China. The group did master planning, architecture, landscape architecture and engineering.
“Jim’s emphasis on skilled craftsmanship, collaborative process and thoughtful design will guide our people and shape projects with lasting impact for decades to come,” says DLR Group Managing Director and CEO Steve McKay. “The employee-owners of our company have a rich culture and legacy to draw inspiration from, thanks to their vision and leadership.”
“Jim believed in this company and what it could become,” he adds. “His legacy will live on through our design, our culture of employee ownership and through each of us.”
After retiring from full-time active practice in the mid-1990s, Roubal continued to contribute to the DLR Group serving for decades in an advisory and mentoring role.
Dana died in 1998 and Larson died in 2012.
