George Dahl:

An Inventory of his Papers, 1916-1991

Biographical Sketch of George Dahl

George Dahl, one of Dallas' most prominent architects, was born in Minneapolis in 1894, of Norwegian immigrants. He learned to speak English in school at age 7. After graduating from college with a bachelor's degree in architecture from the University of Minnesota, he received his Masters from Harvard in 1923. In 1926, he began work for the Herbert M. Greene Co. in Dallas, Texas. He became a partner in Greene's firm in 1928, and the name was changed to Herbert M. Greene, LaRoche, and Dahl and later LaRoche and Dahl after Greene passed away.

In 1943, Dahl founded his own company, George Leighton Dahl, Architects and Engineers, Incorporated. It was during his time over this firm that his career reached soaring heights. Upon his retirement in 1973, he had produced some 3,000 projects throughout the country that are estimated to be worth $3 billion. After 1973, Dahl continued to make appearances at architectural events in Dallas and lived to see his most famous project, Fair Park (1936), fastidiously restored and named a National Historic Landmark

Dallas buildings that he designed include the Methodist Hospital, the Earle Cabell Federal Building, Owen Fine Art Center at Southern Methodist University, The Dallas Morning News building, Jesuit High School, the Dallas Public Health Center, Mrs. Baird's Bakery, and Sears on Ross Avenue. Outside Dallas, he designed 26 buildings for the University of Texas at Austin, 32 stores for Sears, Roebuck and Co. and 15 prisons for the Texas Department of Corrections. His firm also worked on projects for the Federal government, such as structures for the Navy, the Bureau of Yards and Docks, Army Engineers, General Services Administration, and the U.S. Air Force. Other works include banks, office buildings, churches, department stores, several schools, several hospitals, stadiums, and shopping centers. He also designed, managed, and owned Gold Crest Apartments, the apartment building in which he lived until his death in July of 1987. Dahl was also active in professional organizations. Dahl was one of the founders of the Texas Society of Architects and served as the Society's second President. He was also President of AIA Dallas in 1959, and was elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects. He was also admired by the people who worked with him. David Braden, who was a partner in the firm for which Dahl was consultant after his retirement, admiringly summed up the true legacy of his mentor, "While the public will remember his buildings, his professional colleagues will remember him as an innovator and organizer.... He spent most of his professional life pioneering activities which are now common in the profession, but which were unheard of or strenuously resisted by his colleagues at the time."

Dahl, who was survived by his wife Joan, was an active contributor to Dallas the community as well as the skyline. He provided leadership and support for numerous Dallas organizations including the Hella Temple Shrine, Louis Preister Masonic Lodge, and Scottish Rite, and the Rotary Club.

Scope and Content of the collection

George Dahl Papers, 1916-1991, 484 items

Creative works, correspondence, printed material, photographs, financial documentation, works of art on paper, audio recordings, and a scrapbook, 1916-1991 (484 items), document the life and work of architect, George Dahl. The material has been arranged into three subgroups, General, Professional, and Personal. The General subgroup (55 items), contains records that summarize the life and career of Dahl, including interviews, narratives and a biographical file created by Dahl (1950-1986). The Professional subgroup makes up the bulk of the papers (279 items) and contains records related to architectural firms of which he was a partner, particularly those created by George L. Dahl Architects and Engineers Inc. (1948-1973). These records are largely projects (117 items), but also include 25 firm brochures that document the development of the company. Records relating to Fair Park and the Gold Crest apartments have been separated from other professional records due to their creation outside of a specific firm. Fair Park preservation efforts in the 1980's generated a large quantity of publicity material about both Dahl and the building complex, which are located in the Fair Park series. Documentation of Dahl's early career with Greene, LaRoche & Dahl and the University of Texas Building Program may be found within Dahl's academic notebook in the Personal subgroup. One-third of the papers consist of correspondence, printed material, audio recordings, photographs and a scrapbook related to Dahl's domestic and community life. Of note is George Dahl's correspondence and sketches to friends in the 1980's which he terms "dazzlers," and a scrapbook created by Dahl's wife, Joan, documenting the last decade of his personal life.

Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Access is by appointment only to any serious scholar. Rolled materials must be flattened before viewing. A three day advance notice is required to flatten rolled materials. Portions of this collection are not processed and may not be accessible.

Restrictions on Use

Permission for publication is given on behalf of the University of Texas as the owner of the collection and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder which must be obtained by the researcher. For more information please see the Alexander Architectural Archives Use Policy.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

George Dahl (1894-1987) Papers, 1916-1991, General, professional, and personal works., the Alexander Architectural Archive, the General Libraries, the University of Texas at Austin

Processing information

Sarah Hardie and Jill Wood, Fall 1999. Processing is not yet completed. For more information, please consult Archives staff.

Other Finding Aids

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.