O'Neil Ford:

An Inventory of his Drawings, Papers, and Photographic Material, 1864-1993, Part 1 of 2

Biographical Sketch of O'Neil Ford

"Born in the town of Pink Hill, Otha Neil Ford (1905-1982), attended an elementary school in nearby Sherman with a progressive curriculum influenced by the arts-and-crafts movement. From the first grade on, he learned to draw and to build what he drew. Following his father's death in a railroad accident, Neil became the family breadwinner at age 12. To obtain work, he developed a flair for persuasive showmanship, one of many aspects of the complex Fordian persona that he was to invent as he progressed through his long and extraordinarily influential life.

"The family moved to Denton, where, during his high school years, Neil haunted the libraries at the local colleges. In 1924, he entered what was then North Texas State Teachers College, a block from his home, He did well in manual training and Shakespeare, the subjects that interested him, but was forced to leave college after two years. His only formal professional training was a basic architecture course from the International Correspondence School of Scranton, Pa. Ford's lack of university education became part of his mystique.

"In 1926, Ford entered the Dallas office or architect David R. Williams, where he served an apprenticeship. Flamboyant and often outrageous, Williams had "star quality" and, quite naturally, was Ford's first role model and mentor. Williams responded to Neil's abilities as a designer. Working together they produced a number of houses in North Central Texas that were distinguished by the integration of architecture and crafts and the use of native materials. The Hugh Drane residence in Corsicana is a notable example. Williams closed his practice in the early '30s; as deputy administrator of the National Youth Administration from 1936 to 1941, and in influential posts with other federal depression-recovery agencies, he was able to direct commissions to Ford.

"Ford formed his first viable partnership in 1936 with Arch Swank. Significant early jobs for the Dallas office of Ford and Swank were the Little Chapel in the Woods on the campus of Texas Women's University, constructed by National Youth Administration trainees and college art students; and a house on St. Joseph's Island for oilman Sid Richardson.

"Ford's move to San Antonio was precipitated by his work as consulting architect on another NYA project, the restoration of La Villita. He married Wanda Graham in 1940 and settled into the Graham homestead, Willow Way. The house's ambience dramatically influenced what come to be called the Ford style: a mix of worn stone and low-fired bricks, tile floors, and well-crafted wood, united by a lack of pretension.

"In 1946, Ford formed a new partnership with Jerry Rogers that lasted until 1953. Their interest in innovative building systems, such as the Youtz-Slick lift slab process, was put to the test in 1949 when, thanks to William Wurster, another enthusiastic Ford supporter, Ford & Rogers won the commission to design a new campus for Trinity University in San Antonio in association with Bartlett Cocke & Associates. Work at Trinity would span three decades.

"The firm known as O'Neil Ford & Associates was established in 1953 (lasting until 1966), as was Ford's Houston-based partnership with Richard Colley and William Tamminga, which lasted until 1956. From the mid-'50s on, associated architects Ford, Colley & Swank, with planner Samuel B. Zisman, collaborated on a number of projects for Texas Instruments.

"The partnership with Boone Powell and Chris Carson came into being in 1967. Campuses for Skidmore College in New York and the first phase of UT San Antonio (in association with Bartlett Cocke) are examples of the firm's work, as are scores of understated residences including that of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Steves in San Antonio.

"Generations of bright young architects were eager to work for the dynamic Ford. In fact, his best work was done in collaboration with talented young associates who practiced what he preached. And preach he did, tirelessly traveling the lecture circuit. He made himself the grand old man of Texas architecture, simultaneously its eternal naughty boy and its valuable conscience.

"Ford's work was nationally published. Among Ford's honors were his appointment by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 to the National Council on the Arts; by David Rockefeller, Jr. in 1975 to the American Council for the Arts in Education; and in 1977 to the advisory panel for federal Foreign Buildings Operations. The first endowed chair in the School of Architecture at UT Austin was named for Ford.

"Until he died in 1982, O'Neil Ford was contentious and ebullient, and he never lost his childlike sense of wonder."

[Source: George, Mary Carolyn Hollers. 1989. O'Neil Ford. Texas Architect 9 (6): 52-3.]

Scope and Content of the Collection

Papers, plans, photographic prints and negatives, slides, exhibit boards, drawings, and sketches reveal the life and career of O'Neil Ford (1905-1982), a prominent architect in the southwestern United States whose work also extended nationally and internationally. The collection demonstrates the origins and practice of Ford's dedication to native architectural forms and hand craftwork, historic preservation, innovative design, and his tireless advocacy of education, particularly in the arts.

Drawings (1886, 1920-1980, 1993, n.d.) in the collection were received from the firm Ford Powell & Carson and include all projects in which Ford was involved prior to the establishment of that firm in 1967. Two separate databases index this material: one for drawings received into the collection and another for pre-1967 projects whose drawings were not received by the Archive. Approximately 8275 sheets representing 480 projects were received by the Archive; those drawings not received represent 164 projects.

Fifty-four linear feet of papers and photographic material represent Ford's personal and professional life, including his service to several institutions of higher learning as professor of architecture and his active participation in organizations related to architecture, education, and the arts in general. Due to his involvement in these groups, the greatest bulk of material lies in his professional papers (1864-1888, 1933-1983, n.d.) which exist outside of his work for any architectural firm. Most prominent among the organizations are the National Council on the Arts, to which Ford was appointed for the term 1968-1974 by President Lyndon Johnson, and the National Endowment for the Arts, to whom the Council makes funding recommendations. Ford's other important governmental appointments represented here in much less detail include the U.S. Foreign Buildings Operations and General Services Administration. Well-documented is Ford's participation in professional architectural associations and historic preservation groups. Professional correspondence (1933-1982, n.d.) is extensive and demonstrates Ford's wide and varied professional relationships not only with architects but also with individuals in academia and in the organizations with which he was involved, with potential or established clients, and with members of the community who came to know Ford through his professional activities, architectural and otherwise. A large quantity of professional reference files (1864-1888, 1937-1982, n.d.) comprises clippings and other printed material gathered by Ford on architectural matters, including documents relating to the Youtz-Slick lift slab method of construction.

Among Ford's personal papers (1926-1928, 1940-1982, n.d.) are biographical documents including résumés and information regarding Ford's death, personal correspondence (1940-1982, n.d.) with family and friends, and papers and photographs relating to travel (1957-1981, n.d.) which Ford undertook for architectural research and personal pleasure. Approximately 7000 slides taken during travel remain as yet unprocessed.

Office records (1904, 1909, 1939-1982, n.d.) comprise records created and gathered by architectural firms of which Ford was a partner or principal. Included are administrative and financial records, correspondence, publicity clippings of completed projects, and reference materials.

Project records (1886, 1931-1982, n.d.) include files (1938-1982, n.d.) and photographs (1931-1975, n.d.) of projects undertaken by Ford during his architectural career operating in the offices of Ford and Swank (1938-1941), Ford and Rogers (1946-1953), O'Neil Ford and Associates (1953-1966), and Ford Powell & Carson (1967-1982). Documents in the files include correspondence, notes, sketches, and office records relating to the project. Several project lists (1977-1982) of Ford Powell & Carson are present, as well as specifications dating from the firm of Ford and Swank.

Papers (1930-1960, n.d.) created and gathered by Samuel B. Zisman (1908-1970), architect and friend of O'Neil Ford document Zisman's military, professional, and academic career. For other materials relating to Zisman, see also, Samuel B. Zisman: An Inventory of his Papers, 1937-1970, a separate collection of the Alexander Architectural Archive.

A small amount of material (1927-1978, n.d.) relating to Lynn Ford (1908-1978), brother of O'Neil Ford and craftsman mainly in wood and metal, includes personal and professional papers consisting largely of correspondence and records of work projects he undertook.

Unprocessed material, both personal and project related, in the O'Neil Ford collection includes papers, sketches, photographic material (including over 8,000 slides, most of which are partially processed), audiotape recordings, and objects ranging from awards and degrees to product samples and tools.

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 Archive's Use Policy.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

O'Neil Ford collection, the Alexander Architectural Archive, the University of Texas Libraries, the University of Texas at Austin

Processing Information

Papers and photographic material: Vanessa Kam, Joanna Cook, Molly Wheeler, Rebecca Brooks, Regina Koehler, Monique Daviau, Rebecca Romanchuk

Drawings: Benjamin Allen, Beth Dodd

Processing is not completed. Please see the archive's staff for more information.

Other Finding Aids

References to works by or about O'Neil Ford:

Detailed Description of the Collection

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