David Rowland
| David Lincoln Rowland | |
|---|---|
David Rowland holding a scale model of his masterpiece 40/4 chair
|
|
| Born |
February 12, 1924 Los Angeles, California |
| Died | August 13, 2010 (aged 86) Marion, Virginia, Virginia |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Industrial Designer |
| Known for | 40/4 Stacking Chair Softec Chair |
| Spouse(s) | (Miss) Erwin Wassum (m. 1971) |
| Awards | Grand Prix, Milan Triennale for '40/4 Chair' (1964) First Prize, American Institute of Designers (AID) 1965 Austrian Gold Medal Award for Furniture (1969) Gold Medal, Institute of Business Designers (IBD) 1979 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army Air Corps
|
| Years of service | 1943–45 |
| Rank |
 1st Lieutenant
|
| Battles/wars | World War II |
David Lincoln Rowland (February 12, 1924 – August 13, 2010) was an American industrial designer famous for his 40/4 chair, so named because it stacks 40 chairs in 4 feet (120 cm) high. The chair was the first compactly stackable chair invented, and is regarded as the gold standard of stackable chairs, not only for its stackability, but for its comfort, durability, timelessness, and grace. Referring to the 40/4, modern critics have noted that “It is unsurpassed to this day in engineering sophistication and production”. In continuous production since its introduction, the chair has sold in the millions around the world over 5 decades and is found in many prestigious locations, including St. Paul’s Cathedral in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
David Lincoln Rowland was born on February 12, 1924, in Los Angeles, the only child of Neva Chilberg Rowland, a violinist and W. Earl Rowland, a California artist, lecturer and teacher. In 1936 he moved with his parents to where his father became director of the Haggin Museum. In the summer of 1940, when he was only 16, he took a course with Laszlo Maholy-Nagy, one of the founders of The Bauhaus school, at Mills College in Oakland, California on Basic Bauhaus Design, an experience which set the direction of his career. He forever after called it “the best summer of my life!”. After graduation from Stockton High School in 1942, he studied drafting, and worked as a draftsman for the Rheem Manufacturing Co., drawing plans for war munitions, before entering military service in World War II.
From 1943 through 1945 Rowland served in World War II in the United States Army Air Corps, the 8th Air Force, 94th Bomb Group, 333rd Squadron, as a 1st Lieutenant, B17 (“Flying Fortress”) pilot. He was stationed in Bury St. Edmunds, England and made 22 combat missions over Nazi occupied territory. During that time he was awarded the Air Medal and several clusters. It was during those long, sometimes 12 hour missions, sitting in beastly uncomfortable seats, Rowland said, that “I resolved to do something about that if I ever returned home safely”.
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