Kenneth Roderick O'Neal (1908–1989), was an American architect, engineer, and painter.[1][2][3] He founded the first Black-owned and led architecture firm in downtown Chicago.[4] O'Neal had studied under Ludwig Mies van der Rohe,[2] and served as a mentor for early career architects including Beverly Lorraine Greene,[4] John Moutoussamy,[5] and Georgia Louise Harris Brown.[6]
Kenneth Roderick O'Neal | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 30, 1908 |
| Died | March 17, 1989 |
| Other names | K. Roderick O'Neal, Kenneth R. O'Neal |
| Alma mater | University of Iowa, Armour Institute |
| Occupation(s) | Architect, engineer, painter |
Biography
editKenneth Roderick O'Neal was born on July 30, 1908, in Union, Franklin County, Missouri.[1][7] He attended Sumner High School in St. Louis.[2]
O'Neal graduated with a B.A. degree (1931) in graphic design, and a B.S. degree (1935) in civil engineering from University of Iowa.[2] After graduation, he moved to Chicago to attend classes at Armour Institute (now Illinois Institute of Technology), studying under Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.[2]
In his early career, O'Neal worked under Walter T. Bailey.[5] He opened the first Black-led architecture firm in downtown Chicago,[4] and by 1940, he was a licensed architect in the state of Illinois. In 1937, Beverly Lorraine Greene had briefly worked for O'Neal's architecture firm, and he had served as one of her mentors.[4][8] Georgia Louise Harris Brown, the second African American woman to become a licensed architect in the United States, had also worked at the firm of O'Neal from 1945 to 1949.[1][9][6] Architect John Moutoussamy had also been mentored by O'Neal and worked at the firm.[5] O'Neal published two design books: "A Portfolio of Modern Homes" (1949),[10] and "A Volume of Contemporary Homes" (1980).
He retired in 1983.[2] O'Neal had married three times.[1] After retirement, he moved to Tucson, Arizona, followed by a move to Honolulu, Hawaii. He died at age 80 on March 17, 1989, in Honolulu.[11]
Work
edit- Lawrence E. Smith residence (1964), 8348 South Calumet, Chicago, Illinois[5]
Publications
edit- O'Neal, K. Roderick (1949). A Portfolio of Modern Homes. Architectural Drafting Bureau.
- O'Neal, Kenneth R. (1980). A Volume of Contemporary Homes. Ork Enterprises.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d Wilson, Dreck Spurlock (2004-03-01). African American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-95628-8.
- ^ a b c d e f "Kenneth Roderick O'Neal". Missouri Remembers. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ Negro Artists: An Illustrated Review of Their Achievements. Harmon Foundation. Harmon Foundation incorporated. 1935. p. 53.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ a b c d Washington, Roberta (2013). "Greene, Beverly Lorraine". Oxford African American Studies Center. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780195301731.013.38493. ISBN 978-0-19-530173-1. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ a b c d "At Home in Chatham: A Bounty of Mid-Century Modern on the South Side, Where the African-American Elite Once "Strutted Their Stuff"". Newcity Design. 2015-11-19. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ a b "Engineer Archives". Landmarks Illinois. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ Burkett, Randall K.; Burkett, Nancy Hall; Gates Jr., Henry Louis (1991). Black Biography, 1790-1950: K-Z. Chadwyck-Healey. p. 219. ISBN 978-0-89887-085-5.
- ^ Bolden, Tonya (2020-03-03). Changing the Equation: 50+ US Black Women in STEM. Abrams. pp. 69–71. ISBN 978-1-68335-629-5.
- ^ "Georgia Louise Harris Brown". Docomomo-us.org. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ Books and Pamphlets, Including Serials and Contributions to Periodicals. Library of Congress Copyright Office. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1949. pp. 23, 230.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "Obituary for Kenneth Roderick O'Neal". The Honolulu Advertiser. 1989-03-20. p. 7. Retrieved 2023-02-22.