University of Texas at Austin, School of Architecture.

An Inventory of the Collection, 1911-ongoing, undated(bulk 1960-1992)

Administrative History of the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture:

The School of Architecture was established within UT's Engineering Department in 1910, when Dean T.U. Taylor of the Department of Engineering appointed Hugo F. Kuehne the School of Architecture's first faculty member. The university's first degree in Architecture was granted to Bertram E. Giesecke in 1913. In 1920, the Department of Engineering became the College of Engineering, and the School of Architecture became the Department of Architecture within the College of Engineering.

The Department was granted membership in the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture in 1925. 1927 saw the Department move from its original home in the Engineering Building to B Hall (now destroyed), a move necessitated by the Department's growth.

The Department of Architectural Engineering was associated with the Department of Architecture from its inception in 1928 until 1951, when it was granted autonomy. The Association of Student Architects also was created in 1928, the Wind-Up, the Association's annual year-end event, is well documented in the records. Student enrollment stood at 115 in 1929, and 200 in 1930.

In 1930, $300,000 was budgeted for a new Architecture building; Goldsmith Hall, designed by Paul Phillipe Cret, was completed in 1933. The program was accredited by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards in 1935, and the Department was accredited by the National Architecture Accrediting Board in 1940.

Student enrollment stood at 600 in 1948. A "semiautonomous school," a division of the College of Engineering, was created that year and granted full autonomy in 1951. The Advisory Council of the School of Architecture was formed in 1970, and the Dean's Council was formed in 1974.

Today, the School of Architecture is housed in Goldsmith, Battle, and Sutton Halls. There are 47 faculty members and approximately 800 students.

Scope and Contents of the Collection:

Publications, case files, memoranda, correspondence, reports, scrapbooks, and photographs (15 linear feet, plus 12 linear feet of oversized materials) record the activities of the School of Architecture of the University of Texas at Austin, 1911-ongoing (bulk 1960-2002). The fonds is arranged into two subgroups: 1) the School of Architecture Records, and 2) School of Architecture Student and Alumni Records. The records document the evolution of the school from a small unit within the UT Department of Engineering to an independent and prestigious School of Architecture.

Within Subgroup 1 (School of Architecture Records), the General Administrative Records series provides a selective yet broad overview of the SOA's administration, curricula, and events, with the bulk of the materials stemming from the last 40 years. This subgroup also encompasses the Faculty series, which documents the work and activities of SOA professors (1911-2000). Material that remains unprocessed consists of clippings, photocopied articles and notes concerning SOA and prominent faculty, much of which is arranged chronologically or by subject, and a large collection of lantern slides.

Subgroup 2 (Architecture Student and Alumni Records) is substantial in quantity but not comprehensive in terms of coverage. Records include those of the Association of Student Architects, Tau Sigma Delta (the architectural honor society), and the Student Architects' Wives Association, as well as student and alumni case files. Finally, the School's publications (arranged by provenance within each subgroup) document the School's history, activities, and constituents, and also provide insight into contemporary architectural theories and trends.

The School of Architecture Archives is an artificial collection of materials relating to or created by school offices, faculty members, students, and alumni of the School of Architecture. These materials were received by the Alexander Architectural Archive with little or no information concerning the creators of the records or the chain of custody, and were without original order. The processors (Atos, King, and Naron) developed an arrangement that they deemed most conducive to research and possible expansion through the addition of new materials at a later date.

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.

Related Material

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

University of Texas at Austin, School of Architecture Archives, the Alexander Architectural Archive, (1911-2002; bulk 1960-1992), the General Libraries, the University of Texas at Austin

Processing Information

Initial processing by Merilee Atos, Holly King, Stephen Naron, May 2, 2002, for Professor David Gracy, Introduction to Archival Enterprise (LIS 389C.1), Spring 2002. Processing is not completed. Please see the archive's staff for more information.

Other Finding Aids

References to works by or about the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture:

Directors/Deans and Faculty, School of Architecture.

Detailed Description of the Collection: