Gordon B. Olson, 88, worked at the University of Chicago for 42 years and was the assistant superintendent of building and grounds for the institution when he retired. Mr. Olson, a longtime resident of Homewood, died Sunday in Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo, Mich. He was responsible for the installation and operation of the first central air-conditioning units at the school and oversaw the change from coal to natural gas at the university. During World War II, Mr. Olson participated in the Manhattan Project, a top secret operation on the University of Chicago campus to help develop the first atomic bomb. A native of Chicago, Mr. Olson graduated from Tilden High School and the Illinois Institute of Technology. He was a former trustee of the Bethel Evangelical Covenant Church in Flossmoor. Survivors include a daughter, Barbara Ann McWhorter; a son, Douglas; two sisters; and six grandchildren. Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday in the Tews Funeral Home, 18230 S. Dixie Highway, Homewood, and on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. in the Bethel Evangelical Covenant Church, Dixie Highway and Cornell Road. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in the church.
