Ralph Thomas Walker
| Ralph Thomas Walker | |
|---|---|
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| Born |
Ralph Thomas Walker November 28, 1889 Waterbury, Connecticut |
| Died | 1973 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | M.I.T. |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Employer | McKenzie, Voorhees, Gmelin |
| Spouse(s) | Stella Forbes |
Ralph Thomas Walker, FAIA, (1889–1973) was an American architect, president of the American Institute of Architects and partner of the firm McKenzie, Voorhees, Gmelin; and its successor firms Voorhees, Gmelin & Walker, Voorhees, Walker, Foley & Smith; Voorhees, Walker, Smith & Smith; and Voorhees, Walker, Smith, Smith & Haines. Walker is best known for his designs for the Barclay-Vesey Telephone Building (1922–26) and the Irving Trust Building (1928–31).
Walker was called "The only other honest architect in America" by Frank Lloyd Wright, and "Architect of the Century" by The New York Times when he received the Centennial Medal of Honor from the American Institute of Architects. His Art Deco designs have been called "bold, spectacularly dynamic", "radical", "distinctive", "theatrical ... very dramatic", "syncopated and jazzy".
Walker was born on November 28, 1889 in Waterbury, Connecticut and was raised in Connecticut and Rhode Island 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 operettas and other light entertainment. He attended Classical High School in Providence, Rhode Island.
In 1907, at the age of 18, Walker was apprenticed to Providence architect Howard K. Hilton. 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 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 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 Rotch Traveling Scholar in 1916.
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