David Fouts built the bird houses that brought Purple Martins back to the Columbia River. Dave was a colleague of mine at the Portland VA Medical Center. I’ll be on the trip and would be happy to share what I know. He died in 2013. Please see the comments from many people, including OOPS members who celebrated his efforts to bring Purple Martins back to our waters. 
https://obits.oregonlive.com/us/obituaries/oregon/name/david-fouts-obituary?id=24513901