Hugh L. McMath papers, 1928-1977


Collection Summary
	Creator	McMath, Hugh L., 1904-
	Title	Hugh L. McMath papers
	Dates	1928-1977
	Abstract	The Hugh McMath papers include textual and photographic material primarily documenting his 44-year teaching career in the School of Architecture at The University of Texas at Austin. McMath served as chair from 1946-1948, director from 1948-1950, and acting director from 1953-1954. He held a deep interest in the art and architecture of Mexico and developed courses in pre-Hispanic and Colonial architecture of Mexico and published several monographs on the subject. From 1950 until 1960 he organized an architectural workshop at the Instituto Tecnologico of Monterrey, Mexico. He also organized “Arctours” to Mexico in 1968, 1969 and 1970 to inspire interest in historic Mexican architecture by touring sites. Funded by a University Research Institute grant, he conducted a photographic survey of architecture in Puebla, Mexico, in 1968.
	Quantity	2 linear feet manuscript material, 303 black and white prints, 10 color prints, 54 black and white negatives, 230 35 mm slides, 2 watercolors, 12 sheets original drawings, 2 linoleum printing blocks
	Repository:	Alexander Architectural Archive, University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.

Biographical Sketch of Hugh Lyon McMath (1904-1992)

Hugh Lyon McMath was born in Watertown, South Dakota, May 9, 1904.

McMath studied engineering and architecture at North Dakota Agricultural College (Fargo, North Dakota) in the 1920s, receiving a bachelor’s of architecture in 1927. He was an instructor in architecture at North Dakota State College from 1927-1928; and at Bradley Polytechnic Institute in Peoria, Illinois from 1928-1929. He arrived in Austin in 1930 to teach at The University of Texas. Subsequently he received a master’s in architecture from The University of Texas in 1934 and from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1936.

In 1942 McMath entered the U.S. Army Air Corps along with a number of other University faculty members. He served as an instructor and later as a director of the ground school at Moore Field Army Corps Base in Mission, Texas. He headed the educational guidance staff of the Austin Air Reserve Group in the 1950s and retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1964.

During his 44 years of teaching in the School of Architecture at The University of Texas, McMath served as chair from 1946-1948, director from 1948-1950, and acting director from 1953-1954. In addition to his private practice, McMath lists professional experience in the offices of Frederic J. Klein (Peoria, Illinois), Walter T. Rolfe (Austin, Texas), Walter C. Harris (Austin, Texas), Golemon and Rolfe (Houston, Texas), and McKee and Kamrath (Houston, Texas).

McMath held a deep interest in the art and architecture of Mexico. He developed courses in the pre-Hispanic and Colonial architecture of Mexico and published several monographs on the subjects. From 1950 until 1960 he organized an architectural workshop at the Instituto Tecnologico of Monterrey, Mexico, attended by students from all over the U.S. His sponsorship aided the admission of the architecture school at the Instituto Technologico into the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture. He organized “Arctours” to Mexico in 1968, 1969 and 1970 to inspire interest in historic Mexican architecture by touring sites. Funded by a University Research Institute grant, he conducted a photographic survey of architecture in Puebla, Mexico, in 1968.

In 1957, serving as a consultant and coordinating architect for design and construction of the American School in Monterrey, he arranged an association of Monterrey architects and representatives from the Houston firm of Caudill Rowlett and Scott Architects and Planners.

McMath was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts of Great Britain for his work to develop cultural relations with Mexico. He was a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Texas Society of Architects and served on the AIA National Committee on Education and Foreign Relations.

Hugh McMath retired from The University of Texas in 1974.

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Scope and Content of the collection

The Hugh McMath papers include textual and photographic material documenting his education and 44-year teaching career in the School of Architecture at The University of Texas at Austin. McMath served as chair from 1946-1948, director from 1948-1950, and acting director from 1953-1954. He held a deep interest in the art and architecture of Mexico and developed courses in the pre-Hispanic and Colonial architecture of Mexico and published several monographs on the subjects. From 1950 until 1960 he organized an architectural workshop at the Instituto Tecnologico of Monterrey, Mexico. He also organized “Arctours” to Mexico in 1968, 1969 and 1970 to inspire interest in historic Mexican architecture by touring sites. Funded by a University Research Institute grant, he conducted a photographic survey of architecture in Puebla, Mexico, in 1968.

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Arrangement
	The collection is arranged into 4 series: Personal Papers, Professional Papers, Faculty Papers, and Art and Artifacts.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Access is by appointment only to any serious scholar.

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.

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Index Terms
	This collection is indexed under the following headings in the University of Texas Online Catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings
	Creators (persons):
		McMath, Hugh L., 1904-
		Fehr, Arthur, 1904-1969
	Subjects:
		University of Texas--School of Architecture--Faculty
		Architecture--Mexico
	Document types:
		Photographs
		Negatives
		Slides

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Related Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Hugh L. McMath papers, Alexander Architectural Archive, University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin

Processing Information

Paper processed by: Donna Coates, December 2008

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Other Finding Aids

University of Texas at Austin, School of Architecture: An Inventory of the Collection, 1911-2002 (bulk 1960-1992).

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References to works by Hugh L. McMath


	-- compiled by Donna Coates
		McMath, Hugh L. The Olmec civilization; introduction, bibliography, slide postscript. Imprint [Berkeley?] Lecture Film Committee of the School of Architecture [1966?].
		McMath, Hugh Lyon. A national museum of American art and archaeology. Imprint [Austin, Tex.], 1934.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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



Series A: Personal Papers, 1928-1977, undated
	Series Abstract
	Personal Papers include correspondence, undergraduate and graduate school work and family photographs.
box	folder
1	1	Correspondence, 1928-1977, undated
	2	Correspondence concerning job applications, 1947, 1952, 1954
	3	Correspondence with the Alumni Association, North Dakota State University, 1975-1976
	4	Correspondence concerning donations of materials, 1973-1977
	5	Drawings and notes executed at North Dakota Agricultural College
	6	Beaux-Arts project "A Municipal Memorial" (16 b/w photographs)
	7	Massachusetts Institute of Technology materials
	8	Master of Science diploma, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, June 1936
	9	Thesis documents, 1935 (16 b/w photographs)
	10	Photographs of family (2 color prints)
box	folder
5	6	Slides (13 items)
box	folder
6		Mock-up of untitled book (bluelines), undated

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Series B: Professional Papers, 1939-1976, undated

Series Abstract

This series includes information on professional organizations, awards and certificates, and writings by McMath.

box

folder

Awards and certificates, 1939, 1948, 1952, 1964, undated

Royal Society of Arts award (1972) and membership correspondence

Articles and book reviews by McMath, 1937, 1956, undated

"Design in the Architectural Curriculum," by Hugh McMath, in Journal of Architectural Education: Proceedings of the 35th Annual Convention, No. 5, Fall 1949, pp.41-46.

American Institute of Architects materials

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Series C: Faculty Papers
	Series Abstract
	The Faculty Papers series contains records related to the teaching of architecture, department administration, research and reference materials. A large part of the textual material concerns the process of recruiting faculty; administrative, committee and curricular issues; and teaching in Mexico. The Budget Council papers document the establishment of the School of Architecture in 1947. Photographic materials include negatives, black and white prints and slides of Mexico taken by McMath.
		C1: Administrative records, 1929-1977
box	folder
2	2		Biographical information, vitas
	2		Correspondence, 1929-1945
	3		Correspondence, 1946
	4		Correspondence, 1947
	5		Correspondence, 1948
	6		Correspondence, 1949
	7		Correspondence, 1950-1959
	8		Correspondence, 1960-1968
	9		Correspondence, 1970-1977
	10		Correspondence, Institute of Latin American Studies, The University of Texas
	11		Correspondence, Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey, 1950-1958
	12		Correspondence, Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey, 1960-1965
	13		Correspondence, G.E. Kidder-Smith, visiting lecturer, 1955-1956 (includes 1 b/w photograph)
	14		Correspondence, Reynolds Aluminum Student Competition, 1962
	15		Correspondence with students, undated
	16		Budgetary and administrative records, 1949, 1962
box	folder
5	1		List of graduates, 1913-1950
box	folder
2	17		Memoranda, 1945-1973
box	folder
3	1		Faculty meeting minutes, 1949-1973
	2		Annual faculty reports, 1949-1972
	3		School of Architecture Annual Report to the President, 1955-1956
box	folder
5	3		National Architectural Accrediting Board reports, 1947-1949
		C2: Course Materials
box	folder
3	4		Class rosters, Fall 1949 and student enrollment, Fall 1952
	5		Teaching schedules, 1930, 1962-1963
	6		Proposal for study in Mexico, 1950, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1969
	7		Pre-Hispanic Architecture of Middle America (course number 265K)
	8		Colonial Art of Mexico (course number 265L)
	9		Transparencies and copy prints (8 b/w photographs)
	10		Arctour, 1968, 1969
		C3: Faculty Committees and Councils
box	folder
3	11		Standing committees list, 1949-1950
	12		Degrees and Courses committee, 1948-1974
	13		Design committee, 1962-1963
	14		Graduate Studies committee, 1960-1962
	15		Budget Council, 1946-1977, undated
box	folder
5	2		Faculty Council, 1947, 1948
box	folder
3	16		Steering Committee Report, undated
		C4: Reference Files
box	folder
3	17		Clippings about architecture and the School of Architecture
	18		Clippings about Hugh McMath
	19		Clippings about Mexico
box	folder
4	1		Articles and book on printmaking
	2		Articles on various subjects
	3		Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey
	4		Mexican architecture
	5		Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Program, 42nd Annual Meeting, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, May 1956
	6		"The Rising City," University City of Mexico, Office of Public Relations, 1952
	7		Walter T. Rolfe brochure and book
		C5: Photographic Materials
box	folder
4	8		University of Texas, School of Architecture (3 b/w prints)
	9		Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey (28 b/w prints)
	10		Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey (23 color prints)
	11		Mexico, 1939 (65 b/w contact prints)
	12		Mexico, 1939 (12 b/w prints)
	13		Mexico (57 b/w prints)
	14		Postcards of Mexico (6 real photo postcards, 3 chromes)
box	folder
6			Mexico (33 b/w prints)
box	folder
4	15		Mexico (54 b/w negatives)
box	folder
6			Photo album, Phot Lampé, Paris (43 b/w prints)
box	folder
5	7,8		Mexico (175 35 mm slides)
	7		American School at Monterrey (24 35 mm slides)
	8		Stained glass (25 35 mm slides)
		C6: Students' Work
box	folder
5	4		Ornamental design drawings by Arthur Fehr (12 sheets)
	5		Class assignment (1924) with name Arthur Fehr written on sheet and attached b/w photo of Fehr; program for Beaux-Arts Institute of Design project: "The Interior of an Early Christian Church," 1923-24

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Series D: Art and Artifacts

box

folder

2 watercolors by Samuel Gideon, one inscribed to McMath, 1939

box

folder

2 linoleum printing blocks by McMath

box

folder

Commemorative plaque in memory of Hugh Lyon McMath (1993), presented by the class of August 1953

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