George E. Kassabaum
Kassabaum in 1956
BornDecember 5, 1920 (1920-12-05)
DiedAugust 14, 1982 (1982-08-15) (aged 61)
Alma materWashington University in St. Louis
OccupationArchitect
SpouseMarjory Verser Kassabaum Graff
Buildings
Websitewww.hok.com

George E. Kassabaum (December 5, 1920 – August 14, 1982) was an American architect, and one of the co-founders of the HOK architectural firm.[1]

Early life

George Edward Kassabaum was born in Atchison, Kansas. He was the only child of George Kassabaum and Dorothy Kassabaum. From a very young age he expressed an interest in becoming an architect.[2] He graduated from Classen Senior High School in Oklahoma City in 1938.[3]

He attended Washington University in St. Louis[4] where he met his future partners, George Hellmuth and Gyo Obata.[5][6] He earned both a bachelor's and master's degrees in architecture before graduating in 1947.[2]

Kassabaum graduated in 1947 and began working for a local architecture firm in St. Louis founded by two faculty members of Washington University.[2]

Career

In 1955,[7] he co-founded Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, now known as HOK.[5]

He was national president of the American Institute of Architects from 1968 to 1969.[5]

Honors

  • AIA Fellowship, 1967
  • Honorary Fellow, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, 1969
  • Honorary Fellow, La Sociedad de Arquitectos Mexicanos, 1969
  • Honorary Fellow, La Sociedad Columbiana de Arquitectos, 1969
  • Washington University Alumni Citation, 1972
  • Missouri Architect of the Year Award, 1978

Philanthropic service

Kassabaum was a board member of Washington University and an Eliot Society president.[8]

Personal life

Kassabaum married Marjory Verser in 1949. The couple had three children: Douglas, Anne, and Karen.[3]

Kassabaum died at Barnes Hospital, St. Louis, on August 14, 1982, at the age of 61, having suffered a stroke three days earlier at his home in Ladue, a suburb of St. Louis.[5]

  • HOK Co-founder George Kassabaum (1921-1982) on YouTube
  • 60 Years of Design and Innovation at HOK on Youtube
  • HOK website

References

  1. Critic, Blair Kamin, Tribune Architecture (16 November 1999). "GEORGE HELLMUTH; 'SOLD' ARCHITECT FIRM'S IDEAS". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-04-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. 1 2 3 MacLeamy, Patrick (2020-04-14). Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm: The People, Stories, and Strategies Behind HOK. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-119-68530-2.
  3. 1 2 Vosbeck, R. Randall (2008). A Legacy of Leadership: The Presidents of the American Institute of Architects, 1857-2007 (PDF). American Institute of Architects. pp. 115–117. ISBN 978-1-57165-021-4.
  4. Keegan, Edward. "Architecture Magazine".
  5. 1 2 3 4 Upi (1982-08-17). "George Kassabaum, Leading Architect; Headed Large Firm". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
  6. "ArchInForm: George Kassabaum". ArchInForm.
  7. Silva, Eddie. "HOK-Dokey". Riverfront Times. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
  8. "George E. Kassabaum Papers, 1953-1970 | WUA University Archives". archon.wulib.wustl.edu. Retrieved 2021-10-29.


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