George Kassabaum

George E. Kassabaum (December 5, 1920 – August 14, 1982) was an American architect, and one of the co-founders of the HOK architectural firm.[1]

George E. Kassabaum
Kassabaum in 1956
BornDecember 5, 1920 (1920-12-05)
Atchison, Kansas, U.S.
DiedAugust 14, 1982 (1982-08-15) (aged 61)
Alma materWashington University in St. Louis
OccupationArchitect
SpouseMarjory Verser Kassabaum Graff
Buildings
Websitewww.hok.com

Early life

George Edward Kassabaum was born in Atchison, Kansas. He was the only child of George Kassabaum and Dorothy Kassabaum. From a very young age he expressed an interest in becoming an architect.[2] He graduated from Classen Senior High School in Oklahoma City in 1938.[3]

He attended Washington University in St. Louis[4] where he met his future partners, George Hellmuth and Gyo Obata.[5][6] He earned both a bachelor's and master's degrees in architecture before graduating in 1947.[2]

Kassabaum graduated in 1947 and began working for a local architecture firm in St. Louis founded by two faculty members of Washington University.[2]

Career

In 1955,[7] he co-founded Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, now known as HOK.[5]

He was national president of the American Institute of Architects from 1968 to 1969.[5]

Honors
  • AIA Fellowship, 1967
  • Honorary Fellow, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, 1969
  • Honorary Fellow, La Sociedad de Arquitectos Mexicanos, 1969
  • Honorary Fellow, La Sociedad Columbiana de Arquitectos, 1969
  • Washington University Alumni Citation, 1972
  • Missouri Architect of the Year Award, 1978

Philanthropic service

Kassabaum was a board member of Washington University and an Eliot Society president.[8]

Personal life

Kassabaum married Marjory Verser in 1949. The couple had three children: Douglas, Anne, and Karen.[3]

Kassabaum died at Barnes Hospital, St. Louis, on August 14, 1982, at the age of 61, having suffered a stroke three days earlier at his home in Ladue, a suburb of St. Louis.[5]

  • HOK Co-founder George Kassabaum (1921-1982) on YouTube
  • 60 Years of Design and Innovation at HOK on Youtube
  • HOK website

References
  1. Critic, Blair Kamin, Tribune Architecture (16 November 1999). "GEORGE HELLMUTH; 'SOLD' ARCHITECT FIRM'S IDEAS". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-04-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. MacLeamy, Patrick (2020-04-14). Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm: The People, Stories, and Strategies Behind HOK. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-119-68530-2.
  3. Vosbeck, R. Randall (2008). A Legacy of Leadership: The Presidents of the American Institute of Architects, 1857-2007 (PDF). American Institute of Architects. pp. 115–117. ISBN 978-1-57165-021-4.
  4. Keegan, Edward. "Architecture Magazine".
  5. Upi (1982-08-17). "George Kassabaum, Leading Architect; Headed Large Firm". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
  6. "ArchInForm: George Kassabaum". ArchInForm.
  7. Silva, Eddie. "HOK-Dokey". Riverfront Times. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
  8. "George E. Kassabaum Papers, 1953-1970 | WUA University Archives". archon.wulib.wustl.edu. Retrieved 2021-10-29.


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