Elmer E. Botsai

Botsai was in practice in San Francisco from 1963 to 1979, was dean of the School of Architecture at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa from 1980 to 1990 and was president of the American Institute of Architects for the year 1978.

He earned an AA degree from the Sacramento City College in 1950 and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley in 1954.

Circa 1971 they were retained by engineer Henry J. Degenkolb as a consultant to examine water infilatration issues in One Embarcadero Center, and on those grounds were retained by the building's architect, John Portman & Associates, as a preventive consultant on later phases of the Embarcadero Center project.

[3] In 1976 Botsai was appointed chair of the department of architecture of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, but remained senior partner of his San Francisco firm until 1979.

In 2000 he was awarded a Doctor of Architecture (DArch) degree from the university and was named professor emeritus.

[1][2] Botsai joined the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1963 as a member of the Northern California, now San Francisco, chapter.

He served in several chapter and national roles before being elected AIA treasurer for 1972 and 1973 and then as vice president for 1975 and 1976.