Last month we ran the inaugural issue of the Mississippi Architect, published by the Mississippi Chapter of the American Institute of Architects from March 1963 through March 1965 under the editorship of Jackson architect Bob Henry. Editorial advisors in this period were fellow architects Harry Haas, Jr. and Edward Ford Neal. Today and tomorrow, we’ll run the April 1963 issue, beginning with Henry’s editorial on “Competence” and the list of all AIA members in Mississippi, in which I think I see the first women architects in the state.
COMPETENCE
Mississippi law says: “In order to safeguard life, health and property, no person shall practice architecture in this state, or use the title ‘Architect’, or any prefix, suffix or other form thereof, or any title, sign, card or device to indicate that such person is practicing architecture, or is an architect, unless such person shall have secured from the board a license . . . . “
In order to qualify for a license from the State Board of Architecture, one must be a graduate of an accredited school of architecture (five-year course) and must have been employed by a Registered Architect for a minimum of three years. Equivalent competence may be established by extensive examination and employment in responsible charge of work. This means that the Registered Architect has had a minimum of eight years training and experience prior to being licensed. He seldom offers himself as an independent practitioner until that period has been extended to ten, twelve, or more years.
Such training and experience is deemed necessary because the design of a building is a complex process that requires the coordination of many types of planning. A building must be functional so that it serves well the needs that prompt its creation. A building must have sound engineering – structural, electrical, plumbing, heating, and cooling. Materials and equipment must be selected intelligently and sensible construction methods employed. “Interior Decorating” should be an extension of the building design and part of a harmonious whole. A building certainly should be visually pleasing, even beautiful. Exterior design and site planning should give consideration to the present and future relationship of the building and its immediate surroundings. All of this must be accomplished within the bounds of the owner’s requirements and budget.
The architect must possess basic knowledge in all of these fields. He supplements his own knowledge by employing professional consultants – structural engineers, electrical engineers, etc. Creative ability, planning ability, engineering ability, experience, judgment, and professional attitudes vary greatly from one architect to another. The owner must evaluate these things.
The law sets a minimum standard for competence. Buildings are seen, occupy space, serve useful needs, and are costly. Their planning merits no less than the services of a Registered Architect.
– Bob Henry
The American Institute of Architects
Mississippi Chapter
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
- James G. Chastain, A.I.A., President
- Joe T. Pursell, A.I.A., Vice President
- Kenneth W. Hayes, A.I.A., Vice President
- John C. Skewes, A.I.A., Secretary-Treasurer
- James E. McAdams, A.I.A.
- William R. Henry, Jr, A.I.A.
BILOXI
- John T. Collins, A.I.A.
- Leonard Collins, A.I.A.
- Henry F. Fountain, A.I.A.
- Carl E. Matthes, A.I.A.
BROOKHAVEN
- John Biship Seavey, A.I.A.
CLARKSDALE
- John C. Skewes, A.I.A.
COLUMBUS
- Fred L. Harrison, A.I.A.
- William I. Rosamond, A.I.A.
CORINTH
- B. A. England, A.I.A.
GREENVILLE
- Harold Kaplan, A.I.A.
- Matthew L. Virden, A.I.A.
GREENWOOD
- James E. McAdams, A.I.A.
GULFPORT
- Flynt M. Hall, A.I.A.
- Kenneth W. Hayes, A.I.A.
- Milton B.E. Hill, A.I.A.
- Vinson B. Smith, A.I.A.
HATTIESBURG
- Stephen H. Blair, Jr., A.I.A.
- David K. Hemeter, A.I.A.
- Juan E. Landry, A.I.A.
- Juan G. Landry, A.I.A.
- Carl E. Matthes, Jr., A.I.A.
- J. Warren McCleskey, A.I.A.
- J. Warren McCleaskey, Jr., A.I.A.
HOLLY SPRINGS
- Hugh H. Rather, A.I.A.
JACKSON
- William R. Allen, Jr., A.I.A.
- Charles C. Barlow, A.I.A.
- Robert B. Bassett, A.I.A.
- Thomas J. Biggs, A.I.A.
- Raymond Birchett, A.I.A.
- B.A. Brady, A.I.A.
- George Lee Brock, A.I.A.
- W.A. Browne, A.I.A.
- Harold C. Brumfield, A.I.A.
- William E. Campbell, A.I.A.
- James T. Canizaro, A.I.A.
- James G. Chastain, A.I.A.
- James Watts Clark, A.I.A.
- Vance D. Clemmer, A.I.A.
- Charles H. Dean, A.I.A.
- Eugene Drummond, A.I.A.
- Frank P. Gates, A.I.A.
- William L. Gill, A.I.A.
- Earl T. Gilmore, A.I.A.
Jackson (cont’d)
- Arthur J. Godfrey, A.I.A.
- Harry Haas, Jr., A.I.A.
- William R. Henry, A.I.A.
- John F. Hester, A.I.A.
- Grady L. Hicks, A.I.A.
- Ransom Cary Jones, A.I.A.
- C.C. Kenney, A.I.A.
- James C. Lee, A.I.A.
- Jay T. Liddle, A.I.A.
- E.L. Malvaney, A.I.A.
- Emmett Malvaney, A.I.A.
- John M. Mattingly, A.I.A.
- Charles P. McMullan, A.I.A.
- Charles C. Mitchell, A.I.A.
- William D. Morrison, A.I.A.
- R.W. Naef, F.A.I.A
- Edward Ford Neal, A.I.A.
- E.E. Norwood, A.I.A.
- N.W. Overstreet, F.A.I.A
- Joseph Russell Perkins, A.I.A.
- Joe T. Pursell, A.I.A.
- Frank E. Rice, A.I.A.
- Harry S. Shields, A.I.A.
- John W. Staats, A.I.A.
- T.N. Touchstone, Jr., A.I.A.
- John L. Turner, A.I.A.
- John M. Ware, A.I.A.
- Joseph T. Ware, Jr., A.I.A.
- Harry E. Weir, , A.I.A.
- Edward J. Welty, A.I.A.
- Dudley H. White, A.I.A.
LAUREL
- John W. Hunt, A.I.A.
- John C. Suffling, A.I.A.
McCOMB
- William Ragland Watkins, A.I.A.
MERIDIAN
- Bill Archer, A.I.A.
- Luther L. Brasfield, A.I.A.
- Robert C. Clopton, A.I.A.
MISSISSIPPI CITY
- Lloyd K. Grace, A.I.A.
- Willis T. Guild, A.I.A.
- Robert D. Ladner, A.I.A.
NATCHEZ
- Beverly Martin, A.I.A.
PASCAGOULA
- Peter J. Baricev, A.I.A.
STARKVILLE
- Thomas H. Johnston, Jr., A.I.A.
- Thomas Shelton Jones, A.I.A.
SUMMIT
- John H. Ryan, A.I.A.
TUNICA
- John H. Pritchard, F.A.I.A
TUPELO
- Robert B. McKnight, A.I.A.
- Clarice M. Payne, A.I.A.
MEMBERS EMERITUS
- John H. Harvey, A.I.A.E. Fresno, Calif.
- Wilfred S. Lockyer, A.I.A.E. Picayune
- Robert J. Moor, A.I.A.E.
Destin, Fla.
Associates: William L. Addkison, Boyce C. Biggers, Larry L. Bouchillon, Beverly Ann Bradley, F. Marion Brewer, Robert Burns Jr., Leon W. Burton, Alton B. Clingan Jr., Lynton B. Cooper, Nicholas D. Davis, William A. Eason, Thomas J. Gardner, Eugene M. Mansen, Max L. Harris, Alfred B. Hicks, Monroe J. Hilton Jr., William O. Hilton Jr., Charles Howard, James C. Jenkins, J.D. Jernigan, Warnie C. Kennington, William Lawrence, Cronan LeBlanc, A. Neilson Martin, William D. May, John M. Montgomery, James E. Moorhead, Clinton D. Nickles, Jerry A. Oakes, Carl Y. Parker, Francis F. Parker, Sidney E. Patton, J. Almont Pierce, Leslie P. Pitts, Malcoln L. Pointer, J. Ed Ratliff, Moody Reed Jr., Robert W. Riggins, James Cooper Rimmer, C.R. Slaughter Jr., Charles R. Smith, John T. West, Robert H. Westerfield, Malcolm D. Wetzel, Enoch J. Williams.
Junior Associates: Marion Fox, Charles R. Gardner, William W. Kelly Jr., Jesse C. Pearson, Connely Plunkett, George A. Smith, Thomas H. Smith, Thomas O. Wakeman, John M. Ware Jr., Irvin C. Westerfield, Ralph Alvin Whitten, Howard B. Zeagler.
Categories: Architectural Research
Preservation in Mississippi 
Nice piece n a recent “Northside Sun” slick-cover on a person dear 2 the hearts of all architects, associates, draftsmen, masons, carpenters, journeymen,…living & dead. On this 1963 list i recognize a neighbor, Bob Burns of Broadway Street, here n fondren.
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I’m glad you noticed a name in that long list you recognized–that was my hope as I was tediously typing it all out last night. Maybe we’ll get some information about some of them that we might not have otherwise.
Also saw that article–it was nice.
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Thank you so much for this list!! Not only did I recognize most of the names, but I had the honor of working with about thirty of these super talents while I was an associate in the firms of James W. Taylor & Associates and Taylor and Walters, Consulting Engineers, in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The list brought back a lot of fond memories.
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Mr. Stietenroth, Are you related to Mark Stietenroth?
And are you an architect?
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I am proud to say that Mark is my son. How do you know Mark?
No, I am not an architect. I am retired now, most recently employed as chief HVAC systems design engineer with Chevron in Houston, TX.
I have often regretted not persuing a career in Architecture.
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i was pleasantly surprised to find more info on my “daddy Vin” Vinson B, Smith, Jr. My Mother Rosemary Joyce McDonald told me growing up that he was a great architect but to actually research and see buildings he designed is so wonderful.
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Well, pleased to make your acquaintance, sir! I am a friend of the Wheatley family and met Mark at Mr. William F. Wheatley’s funeral last year. My husband is also an old friend of Mark’s.
Strange how the vast reaches of the Internet serve sometimes to only make the world smaller!
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Anyone have any info on Clarice M. Payne? Its an honor to know that she was the one that designed a Mid-Century Modern home that is owned by a relative, in Memphis. The house was built in 1958. My relative told me that Clarice applied the bare necesseties of the convenience of space. The home only has two bedrooms, and one and a half bath. The home has a crawl space, and sits three or four feet off the lot, and has tall ceilings, with exposed rafters, having the cutting edge 1960s california look.
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My late father, Connely Plunkett,d1-23-2004, was a partner in the longtime firm of Barlow & Plunkett located on North State Street, He was the first Engineer in the state of Mississippi to also pass his boards to become
certified as a practicing Architect in the State of Mississippi. He designed the Walter Sillers State office building, as well as working extensively on Baptist hopital. He designed the original Maywood Mart and much later, Highland Village shopping center. He was also invoved in the design and building of The Mississippi State Veterinary School.
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Clarice M. Payne, A.I.A.
Memphis Roots!!! Would love to know more about her, and in her designs from the cutting edge of the 1960s. It’s an honor of having a relative that is the original owner of a home that Clarice designed in the University of Memphis area. The home speaks, Mid-Century Modern. Many of the architectural features is the dark red ribbed bricks, the low pitched slanted roof you’d find in California. Other architectural features would be the oversized transom windows; exposed redwood ceiling beams that support the textron ceiling/roof membranes. The home has most of of the original fluorescent light ballast affixed behind wood valences above the picture windows, that open out like awning windows to let air in. The two bedroom, 1 and a half bath was constructed in 1959.
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Robert W. Riggings, Associate
I live in a house in Oxford, Mississippi, that was designed in 1961-62 by Robert W. Riggins of New Albany, MS, and the builder was Jimmy Faulkner of Oxford, MS. I have also found Mr. Riggins name on a plaque at Bramlett Elementary School in Oxford, MS, as an associate of the firm that did the expansion of the school. I am trying to find out any information about Mr. Riggins himself, his practice, or any other architects who knew him, practiced with him, or learned from / apprenticed with him.
Thank you for your help!
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I don’t know anything more about him, but the MDAH Historic Resources Database does have one more building associated with Riggins, operating as Mahoney, Riggins, and Williams, the 1957 Old Salem School in Benton County. The database doesn’t mention he’s from New Albany, so it’s probable that the folks at MDAH don’t know anything about him other than his name. I’m sure they’d be interested to know about your Oxford house so they can add it to the database. I would suggest contacting Jennifer Baughn at jbaughn@mdah.ms.gov to pass along that information.
http://www.apps.mdah.ms.gov/Public/rpt.aspx?rpt=artisanSearch&Name=riggin&City=Any&Role=Any
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Thank you so much for this information! I will definitely contact her!
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I haven’t been keeping up. Has this been posted?
I see that the “handsome” six-story Columbus Insurance and Banking Company building that partially burned circa 1915 is listed as the work of R. H. Hunt. The partially- burned building re-emerged after the fire as a four-story building. Rufus Ward published in his weekly column of the Commercial-Dispatch the events of the great fire that destroyed much of Columbus.
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28072923/
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The burning of the Handsome six-story Columbus Insurance and Banking Company building.
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25873433/sixstory_bank_building_damaged_in_fire/
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R. H. Hunt a Chattanooga native?
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28074105/
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Can anyone help with locating someone that was with hester and brady architect. I am searching for some drawings from the 70’s.
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From newspaper.com,
Hester and Brady started out in the late 1960s in the Magnolia Towers Building.
The USPS address:732, Northwest Street, P.O. Box 5323, Jackson, MS
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