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445:(AIA) and became its president in 1949. During his two-year presidency he was instrumental in establishing the AIA's College of Fellows which gained approval in 1952. In 1957, on the occasion of the AIA's 100th anniversary, the AIA recognized Walker's extraordinary service to the profession by creating a special award for him, the
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May I say, finally, that I have no illusions of grandeur; quite to the contrary, I am very humble in my knowledge that through forty years of my life my life has been an open book of service to my fellow architects and for the public good. When I sever my connections with the A.I.A. I do so with my
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In 1960, Walker resigned from the AIA after a conflict over professional ethics. The AIA accused a member of Walker's firm of acting in an "unprofessional manner" by taking a contract that already belonged to another firm. Walker was devastated by the controversy and self-published a booklet
395:'s theoretical drawings exhibited in 1922, Walker created a massive asymmetrical tower set back from its base. The design led the way for a generation of skyscrapers built using the set-back principle. It has also been described as the first
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The architect of the future will have to be a psychologist, because it is as important for the architect to design a building for man to be mentally comfortable in as it is for him to design one in which he will be physically
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skyscraper because of its inventive ornament surrounding doorways and windows and elevator foyers. As a result of the success of the design, Walker made partner in the firm and its name was changed to
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285:. After two years had moved up to a design position, paying nine dollars a week. He left during his final semester before graduating, and, in 1913, married Stella Forbes, of Providence. He was a
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281:. The three-year apprenticeship paid one dollar a week for the first year, two a week for the second year and three a week for the third. While working there Walker attended classes at the
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After the completion of the
Barclay-Vesey Building, Walker designed several other buildings using its combination of asymmetrical setbacks and towers with Art Deco ornament, including the
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in 1921, Walker became a lead designer and took McKenzie, Voorhees and Gmelin in a new direction. The
Barclay-Vesey Building is credited as being the first skyscraper to use the New York
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defending his reputation—and including much of the correspondence surrounding the incident – which he sent to all members of the
College of Fellows. He ended the essay with:
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Libraries. They contain correspondence, articles, manuscript essays, speeches, notes and notebooks as well as photographs, project files, sketches, clippings, and scrapbooks.
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own self respect, as a matter of pride and I am sure within your knowledge of my character. I completely scorn the falsifying, the sanctimonious, the cheap and the shoddy.
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Walker retired from
Voorhees, Walker, Foley, Smith & Smith in 1959 but remained active within the profession. Prior to his death, however, he destroyed his AIA award.
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by a working-class family. His father was a construction worker, and he received his love of the arts from his mother, who exposed him to theatre, where he saw
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New York
Telephone Building, 425 West 50th Street, (1930) in 2013 converted to residential condominiums under the name "Stella Tower," named for Walker's wife.
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Skyscraper design was to be the focus of Walker's career, and he was to be influential in determining what they would should look like. He said of it:
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In his first few years with the firm, Walker used his Beaux-Arts training to provide support for the firm's ongoing commissions for projects like the
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423:(1928–31), and several other telephone buildings throughout New York City and the state, including those in Syracuse and Rochester as well as the
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reporting the award dubbed Walker the "Architect of the
Century." To commemorate the event, Walker also wrote and published an autobiography.
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designs have been called "bold, spectacularly dynamic", "radical", "distinctive", "theatrical ... very dramatic", "syncopated and jazzy".
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Verizon
Building (c. 1930s), 212 West 18th Street, in 2012 converted to residential condominiums under the name "Walker Tower."
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In 1919, at age 30, after his return from Europe for his military service, Walker was offered a junior design position with
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as a second lieutenant in the
Camouflage Section, from 1917 to 1918, as did many other artists, sculptors and architects.
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217:(1928–31), but was also involved in numerous other Art Deco telecommunications buildings in the New York City area.
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The skyscraper is the only means of living in this age of machine. It is an expression and reflection of the age.
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AT&T Pavilion, General
Electric Pavilion, Borden Pavilion, Petroleum Pavilion, New York World's Fair (1939)
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neighborhood of
Manhattan, now being redeveloped for residential use under the name "Walker Tower"
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659:"Questionnaire for Architects' Roster and/or Register of Architects Qualified for Federal Works"
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During the 1930s as Art Deco waned, Walker was deeply involved with the planning of the 1933
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Walker killed himself in January 1973, using a silver bullet that he had forged himself.
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1026:"Year 86 – 1946: The Charles Hayden Memorial Library | 150 Years in the Stacks"
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185:(November 28, 1889 – January 17, 1973) was an American architect, president of the
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Walker belonged to several other organizations. He was appointed by President
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in 1926. Befitting his success, Walker moved to the suburbs of New York, to
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and partner of the firm McKenzie, Voorhees, Gmelin and its successor firms
939:"Ralph T. Walker Papers An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University"
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Charles Hayden Memorial Library, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts (1946–1951)
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In 1907, at the age of 18, Walker was apprenticed to Providence architect
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Staff. (May 16, 1957) "Architect of the Century: Ralph Thomas Walker"
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Staff. (May 16, 1957) "Architect of the Century: Ralph Thomas Walker"
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Civic Art: A Centennial History of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts
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New York 1930: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Two World Wars
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Washington, D.C.: U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. Appendix B, p.556.
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New York 1930: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Two World Wars
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Walker was called "The only other honest architect in America" by
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Stern, Robert A. M.; Gilmartin, Patrick; Mellins, Thomas (1987).
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Ralph Walker; The American Institute of Architects - 1921 - 1961,
899:"Ralph T. Walker Is Dead at 83; Hailed as 'Architect of Century'"
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Stern, Robert A. M.; Gilmartin, Patrick; Mellins, Thomas (1987).
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are preserved at the Special Collections Research Center of the
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348:. Walker was to remain there for the remainder of his career.
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1047:. New York City, New York, USA: Rizzoli International.
599:(1929–1930), now converted to the BellTel Lofts (2006)
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New York Telephone Company Long Island Headquarters,
510:, serving from 1959 to 1963; he was a trustee of the
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Citizen's Housing & Planning Council of New York
847:"Ralph Walker: America's Most Underrated Architect"
805:
The History and Directory of the College of Fellows
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and later partially converted to residential condos
1134:Presidents of the American Institute of Architects
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550:(all in New York City unless otherwise indicated)
554:The New York Telephone Company Building, aka the
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783:. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2000.
415:Headquarters (1929–30) on West 14th Street, the
209:). Walker is best known for his designs for the
1129:Fellows of the American Institute of Architects
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690:Cohen, Julie (writer & producer) (2014).
1119:Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni
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266:and other light entertainment. He attended
203:Voorhees, Walker, Smith, Smith & Haines
494:Walker was reinstated to the AIA in 1965.
447:AIA Centennial Medal of Honor (Gold Medal)
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540:National Association of Housing Officials
522:. In addition, he was a president of the
250:Walker was born on November 28, 1889, in
174:Salvation Army Centennial Memorial Temple
1114:Architects from Providence, Rhode Island
1069:"Ralph Walker: Architect of the Century"
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996:. New York: Rizzoli. pp. 567, 571.
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803:American Institute of Architects (2007)
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359:And of the designer of these buildings:
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150:entrance to the Verizon Building in the
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734:. New York: Rizzoli. pp. 566–567.
391:as a design asset. Inspired in part by
292:Walker practiced in various offices in
1104:Architects from Waterbury, Connecticut
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1045:Ralph Walker: Architect of the Century
897:Fowle, Farnsworth (January 18, 1973).
592:, 120–130 West 14th Street (1929–1930)
536:American Society of Planning Officials
530:in New York City, and a member of the
497:
896:
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580:New Jersey Bell Headquarters Building
425:New Jersey Bell Headquarters Building
283:Massachusetts Institute of Technology
97:Massachusetts Institute of Technology
770:. New York: Oxford University Press.
224:, and "Architect of the Century" by
1124:Military personnel from Connecticut
871:Sheftell, Jason (January 3, 2013).
768:Skyscraper Style: Art Deco New York
692:Treasures of New York: Ralph Walker
545:
441:Walker was an active member of the
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199:Voorhees, Walker, Smith & Smith
195:Voorhees, Walker, Foley & Smith
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1043:Holliday, Kathryn E., ed. (2012).
126:Stella Forbes and Christine Foulds
14:
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434:Exposition in Chicago and in the
1149:Recipients of the AIA Gold Medal
1084:20th-century American architects
835:. New York: Henahan House, 1957.
524:Architectural League of New York
443:American Institute of Architects
236:American Institute of Architects
187:American Institute of Architects
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974:Luebke, Thomas E. (ed.) (2013)
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845:Drumm, Perrin (April 6, 2012).
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615:AT&T Long Distance Building
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532:American Institute of Planners
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1109:Architects from New York City
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617:, 32 Sixth Avenue (1930–1932)
383:(1922–1926), commissioned by
372:, completed in 1924, and the
334:McKenzie, Voorhees and Gmelin
1139:Classical High School alumni
611:, Rochester, New York (1930)
565:Western Union Building, now
508:U.S. Commission of Fine Arts
402:Voorhees, Gmelin, and Walker
322:American Expeditionary Force
318:U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
7:
707:Brooklyn Municipal Building
590:Salvation Army Headquarters
572:Irving Trust Building, now
370:Brooklyn Municipal Building
191:Voorhees, Gmelin and Walker
10:
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558:(1922–26); damaged in the
528:Municipal American Society
436:1939 New York World's Fair
117:McKenzie, Voorhees, Gmelin
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232:Centennial Medal of Honor
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664:August 13, 2011, at the
514:, Vice President of the
379:With his design for the
374:Brooklyn Edison Building
316:, Walker served in the
272:Providence, Rhode Island
833:Ralph Walker: Architect
764:Bletter, Rosemarie Haag
287:Rotch Traveling Scholar
807:Washington, D.C.: AIA.
556:Barclay–Vesey Building
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466:Ralph T. Walker Papers
389:1916 Zoning Resolution
381:Barclay–Vesey Building
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252:Waterbury, Connecticut
211:Barclay–Vesey Building
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58:Waterbury, Connecticut
762:Robinson, Cervin and
609:Times Square Building
597:101 Willoughby Street
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376:, completed in 1923.
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268:Classical High School
246:Early life and career
230:when he received the
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712:May 5, 2011, at the
668:(September 26, 1946)
560:September 11 attacks
520:New Castle, New York
512:Lavanburg Foundation
504:Dwight D. Eisenhower
344:to the one begun by
254:, and was raised in
1099:Art Deco architects
877:New York Daily News
526:, president of the
498:Other organizations
474:Syracuse University
432:Century of Progress
346:Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz
180:Ralph Thomas Walker
77:Chappaqua, New York
44:Ralph Thomas Walker
25:Ralph Thomas Walker
925:The New York Times
819:The New York Times
452:The New York Times
449:. The headline of
406:Westchester County
385:New York Telephone
227:The New York Times
222:Frank Lloyd Wright
177:
167:
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18:American architect
1003:978-0-8478-3096-1
781:Skyscraper Rivals
779:Daniel Abramson,
741:978-0-8478-3096-1
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162:Entrance to
71:(1973-01-17)
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1094:1973 deaths
1089:1889 births
948:November 4,
793:AIA website
576:(1928–1931)
569:(1928–1930)
480:Controversy
314:World War I
256:Connecticut
148:17th Street
85:Nationality
1078:Categories
882:January 5,
856:January 5,
716:on NYC.gov
628:References
538:, and the
103:Occupation
50:1889-11-28
908:April 30,
289:in 1916.
264:operettas
234:from the
123:Spouse(s)
107:Architect
1012:13860977
750:13860977
710:Archived
662:Archived
470:Nachlass
419:Bank at
397:Art Deco
298:Montreal
240:Art Deco
113:Employer
88:American
1037:Sources
766:(1977)
506:to the
320:of the
238:. His
152:Chelsea
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851:Core77
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586:(1929)
584:Newark
534:, the
468:, his
328:Career
300:, and
294:Boston
201:; and
79:, U.S.
60:, U.S.
928:p.26.
822:p.26.
633:Notes
1049:ISBN
1008:OCLC
998:ISBN
950:2020
910:2019
884:2013
858:2013
746:OCLC
736:ISBN
696:WLIW
464:The
338:firm
258:and
183:FAIA
136:The
66:Died
40:Born
312:In
270:in
207:HLW
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