Charles Henry Atherton (June 24, 1932December 3, 2005), FAIA, was an American

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 ...

and former secretary of the

U.S. Commission of Fine Arts The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) is an independent agency of the federal government of the United States, and was established in 1910. The CFA has review (but not approval) authority over the "design and aesthetics" of all construction with ...

from 1960 to 2004.

Early life

Atherton was born in

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in th ...

on June 24, 1932, the son of Brigadier General Thomas Henry Atherton (18841978) and Mary Kidd Mish (19001981). His father was an accomplished architect whose notable works included the

Pennsylvania Memorial The Pennsylvania Memorial is a war memorial in Varennes-en-Argonne, France dedicated to volunteers from Pennsylvania who participated in the First World War. The memorial is constructed in a Greek style and the viewing platform gives a view of t ...

in Varennes-en-Argonne in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Atherton was educated at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

, receiving both an undergraduate degree in architecture in 1954 and a Master of Fine Arts in architecture in 1957.

Career

After graduation he served in the U.S. Naval Civil Engineering Corps and worked as an architect for the Central Intelligence Agency for three years. He joined the

United States Commission of Fine Arts The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) is an independent agency of the federal government of the United States The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the U ...

(CFA) in 1960 as Assistant Secretary and was named Secretary in 1965 after Linton Wilson’s retirement. By 1987 he was referred to in the New York Times as Executive Secretary of the CFA, a role he held until he retired on May 24, 2004. Among the many architectural projects he worked on were the

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is a presidential memorial in Washington D.C., dedicated to the memory of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, and to the era he represents. The memorial is the second of two ...

Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C. Lafayette Square is a seven-acre (30,000 m2) public park located within President's Park, Washington, D.C., United States, directly north of the White House on H Street, bounded by Jackson Place on the west, Madison Place on the east and Pennsy ...

(opposite the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

, and the

World War II Memorial The World War II Memorial is a national memorial in the United States dedicated to Americans who served in the armed forces and as civilians during World War II. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The memorial consists ...

, Washington D.C. He was a lead contributor of the CFA publication titled “Massachusetts Avenue Architecture Vol. 1, NW Washington D.C.”

Memberships

Atherton was involved in numerous organizations, including the Parks and History Association, the Navy Art Foundation, the

Historical Society of Washington, D.C. The Historical Society of Washington, D.C., also called the DC History Center, is an educational foundation dedicated to preserving and displaying the history of Washington, D.C. The society provides lectures, exhibits, classes, and community ev ...

, the

Columbia Historical Society The Historical Society of Washington, D.C., also called the DC History Center, is an educational foundation dedicated to preserving and displaying the history of Washington, D.C. The society provides lectures, exhibits, classes, and community e ...

, and the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

; he served as the president of the Washington, D.C., chapter of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

Honors

* Centennial Award of the D.C. chapter of the American Institute of Architects (1993) * The District of Columbia Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation (2004) * a Committee of 100 Lifetime Achievement Award *

Fellow of the American Institute of Architects Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) is a postnominal title or membership, designating an individual who has been named a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Fellowship is bestowed by the institute on AIA-member ...

for outstanding achievement (1984) * American Institute of Architects “Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture” (2005) There have been numerous memorial lectures held in his honor.

Personal life

He married Mary Bringhurst-Davis (1939-1993) in 1967. They had two sons and a daughter.

Death

He died on December 3, 2005 at the age of 73, as a result of injuries sustained when he was hit by a moving vehicle, while crossing Connecticut Avenue, Washington D.C, near his home. His funeral was held in

Washington National Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington, commonly known as Washington National Cathedral, is an American cathedral of the Episcopal Church. The cathedral is located in Washington, D.C., the cap ...

. He was buried at

Forty Fort Forty Fort was a stronghold built by settlers from Westmoreland County, Connecticut, on the Susquehanna River in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. During the American Revolutionary War, both Connecticut and Pennsylvania claimed this territory, as ...

Cemetery,

Luzerne County Luzerne County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is Northeastern Pennsylvania's second-largest county by total area. As of ...

, Pennsylvania.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atherton, Charles Henry 1932 births 2005 deaths 20th-century American architects Architects from Pennsylvania People from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Princeton University alumni