Alfred Charles Bossom, Baron Bossom GCStJ

FRIBA The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

(6 October 1881 – 4 September 1965) was an

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

in the United States who returned to his native

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and became a

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

. He also wrote books on architecture.

Architectural career

Bossom was born in

Islington Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ar ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, to Alfred Henry Bossom, a stationer, and his wife Amelia Jane, née Hammond. He was educated at St. Thomas's Charterhouse School, in the

City A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

, and studied architecture at the

Regent Street Polytechnic The University of Westminster is a public university based in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1838 as the Royal Polytechnic Institution, it was the first polytechnic to open in London. The Polytechnic formally received a Royal charter in Aug ...

and the

Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purpo ...

. In 1904 he left for the United States to work for

Carnegie Steel Carnegie Steel Company was a steel-producing company primarily created by Andrew Carnegie and several close associates to manage businesses at steel mills in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area in the late 19th century. The company was formed ...

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

. He worked on the restoration of

Fort Ticonderoga Fort Ticonderoga (), formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century star fort built by the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain, in northern New York, in the United States. It was constructed by Canadian-born French milit ...

from 1908. In 1910, he married Emily, daughter of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

banker, Samuel Bayne, and they had three sons. As an architect with offices at 680

Fifth Avenue Fifth Avenue is a major and prominent thoroughfare in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It stretches north from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to West 143rd Street in Harlem. It is one of the most expensive shopping stre ...

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, Bossom specialized in the efficient construction of

skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...

s. While based in New York City he designed a number of major works in Texas, including the

American Exchange National Bank American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

(1918). Bossom's Dallas work on the Maple Terrace Apartments (1924–1925), and the expansion and renovation of the

Adolphus Hotel Hotel Adolphus (often referred to as "The Adolphus") is an upscale hotel in the Main Street District of Downtown Dallas Dallas, Texas. A Dallas Landmark, it was for several years the tallest building in the state. Today, the hotel is part of Mar ...

, were done with local architects

Thomson and Swaine Thomson may refer to: Names * Thomson (surname), a list of people with this name and a description of its origin * Thomson baronets, four baronetcies created for persons with the surname Thomson Businesses and organizations * SGS-Thomson Mic ...

. After traveling into Mexico, Bossom became a proponent of

Mayan Revival architecture Mayan Revival is a modern architectural style popular in the Americas during the 1920s and 1930s that drew inspiration from the architecture and iconography of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures. History Origins Though the name of the s ...

, clearly reflected in the stepped-back tower and ornament of his 1927

Petroleum Building The Petroleum Building is a 50-meter/10-floor building at 420 South Boulder in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was built in 1921, and is a steel and reinforced concrete structure faced with buff brick. The name was given because most of the early tenants we ...

in Houston. Bossom also designed a number of large houses. Examples include the Henry Devereux Whiton house in

Hewlett, New York Hewlett is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 6,819 at the 2010 census. Hewlett is usually included as one of the Five Towns in the ...

, additions to the

Joseph Wright Harriman Joseph Wright Harriman (January 31, 1867 – January 23, 1949) was the president of Harriman National Bank and Trust Company. He was the nephew of railroad tycoon Edward H. Harriman and cousin of diplomat, statesman and future New York Governor W. ...

house in

Brookville, New York Brookville is a village located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 3,465 at the time of the 2010 census. History The geographic Village of Brook ...

, and the remarkable

Edward Howland Robinson Green Edward Howland Robinson "Ned" Green (August 22, 1868 – June 8, 1936), also known as Colonel Green, was an American businessman, the only son of financier Hetty Green (the "Witch of Wall Street"). In the late 19th century, he became a polit ...

estate in

Round Hill, Massachusetts Round Hill is a location in Dartmouth, Massachusetts of historical significance. History Original description The first historical description of the hill was by Gabriel Archer, who kept a record of the 1602 expedition of Bartholomew Gosnold fro ...

. He also invented a device for protecting people from suffocating if they accidentally got locked in a bank vault. A number of architects began their careers in his offices.

Samuel Juster Samuel Juster, AIA, (12 February 1896 – 2 May 1982) was an American architect who practiced during the mid-20th century in New York City and New Jersey. Career Early life and education Juster was born in Bucharest, Romania. He earned a dip ...

and Anthony DePace met in these offices, later founding the firm of DePace and Juster; DePace went from Bossom's skyscraper work to become project manager at

Cass Gilbert Cass Gilbert (November 24, 1859 – May 17, 1934) was an American architect. An early proponent of skyscrapers, his works include the Woolworth Building, the United States Supreme Court building, the state capitols of Minnesota, Arkansas and We ...

's offices, project managing the

New York Life Building The New York Life Building is the headquarters of the New York Life Insurance Company at 51 Madison Avenue in New York City. The building, designed by Cass Gilbert, abuts Madison Square Park in the Rose Hill and NoMad neighborhoods of Manha ...

Return to England

At the height of his career in 1926, Bossom returned to

with his family, determined that his children should be educated there. Entirely detached from his architectural career, he began a new life of public service and was elected as

member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

(MP) for

Maidstone Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the c ...

at the 1931 general election. He held the seat until he retired from the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

at the 1959 general election, having taken time out during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

to serve in the

British Home Guard The Home Guard (initially Local Defence Volunteers or LDV) was an armed citizen militia supporting the British Army during the Second World War. Operational from 1940 to 1944, the Home Guard had 1.5 million local volunteers otherwise ineligible f ...

. In 1931, Bossom and Mansfield Forbes bought Bourn Windmill,

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...

. They had the mill repaired, and presented it to the Cambridge Preservation Society in 1932. Later that year, Bossom's wife had died in an aircrash, and he was remarried to another American, Elinor Dittenhofer in 1934, but they were divorced in 1947. In 1953 he held the reception of Margaret Roberts after her marriage to

Denis Thatcher Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet, (10 May 1915 – 26 June 2003) was an English businessman and the husband of Margaret Thatcher, who served as the first female British prime minister from 1979 to 1990; in turn, he became the first male prime m ...

at his Chelsea home; later she became Britain's first female prime minister (1979–1990). In 1952, he was made an honorary

Doctor of Law A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL ...

by the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

. On 4 July 1953, he was created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

, of

in the

County of Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces the ...

. On 30 January 1960, he was created a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...

as Baron Bossom, of Maidstone in the County of

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

. In 1965, Bossom died in

, and as his title was a

life peerage In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages Ac ...

, it became extinct upon his death, although his hereditary baronetcy passed to his only surviving child,

Clive Clive is a name. People and fictional characters with the name include: People Given name * Clive Allen (born 1961), English football player * Clive Anderson (born 1952), British television, radio presenter, comedy writer and former barrister * ...

(his eldest and youngest sons had died in 1932 and 1959 respectively). Bossom was also president of the Anglo-Baltic Society.

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

joked of him, "Bossom, Bossom, that's an odd name! Neither one thing nor the other", in reference to the words " buxom" and "

bottom Bottom may refer to: Anatomy and sex * Bottom (BDSM), the partner in a BDSM who takes the passive, receiving, or obedient role, to that of the top or dominant * Bottom (sex), a term used by gay couples and BDSM * Buttocks or bottom, part of th ...

Architectural designs

, architect of the first stages of the reconstruction of the French fortress for Col. Robert M Thompson and Mr & Mrs Stephen HP Pell, 1908- * Covington Saving Bank Building, 1910 * First National Bank Building, as designer for

Clinton and Russell Clinton and Russell was a well-known architectural firm founded in 1894 in New York City, United States. The firm was responsible for several New York City buildings, including some in Lower Manhattan. Biography Charles W. Clinton (1838– ...

, Richmond, Virginia, 1912-1913 *American Exchange National Bank (1918) * Virginia Mutual Building, with local architects Carneal and Johnston, Richmond, Virginia, 1919 *Virginia Trust Company Building in Richmond *Lynchburg National Bank and Trust at Ninth and Main in Lynchburg *

Mansion,

, 1921 * Magnolia Hotel, with local architects Lang & Witchell, Dallas, Texas, 1922 *Maple Terrace Apartments (Dallas, Texas) (1924–25), *United States National Bank, Galveston, Texas, 1924 * Liberty Building, Buffalo, New York, 1925 *

, Houston, Texas, 1925–26 * Federal-American National Bank, Washington, D.C., 1925–1926 *First National Bank Building, Jersey City, New Jersey, 1920 * Prestwould Apartments, Richmond, Virginia 1929

Selected works

He authored books on architecture including: * ''An Architectural Pilgrimage in Old Mexico'', Charles Scribner's, 1924. * ''Building to the Skies: The Romance of the Skyscraper'', 1934.

Notes

References

* Dennis Sharp, ed., ''Alfred C. Bossom's American Architecture, 1903-1926'', London: Book Art, 1984. * Robert B. MacKay, ''Long Island Country Houses and Their Architects, 1860-1940'', W. W. Norton & Company, 1997. .
The Handbook of Texas Online

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bossom, Alfred Bossom, Baron 1881 births 1965 deaths People from Islington (district) Alumni of the Regent Street Polytechnic Architects from London Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Bailiffs Grand Cross of the Order of St John Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Life peers 20th-century English architects Fellows of the Royal Institute of British Architects UK MPs 1931–1935 UK MPs 1935–1945 UK MPs 1945–1950 UK MPs 1950–1951 UK MPs 1951–1955 UK MPs 1955–1959 UK MPs who were granted peerages 20th-century American architects British emigrants to the United States Members of London County Council Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Life peers created by Elizabeth II