University of Michigan August 2013 104 (Alice Lloyd Hall)

Clair W. Ditchy

FAIA 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 ...

(1891–1967) was an American architect in practice in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

from 1922 until 1967. From 1953 to 1955 he was president 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 ...

Life and career

Clair William Ditchy was born April 12, 1891 in

Kelleys Island, Ohio Kelleys Island is both a village in Erie County, Ohio, and the island which it fully occupies in Lake Erie. The British originally called it Sandusky Island. Later the United States took it over and officially designated it as Island Number 6 ...

to Peter Ditchy and Julia (Monaghan) Ditchy. He attended the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, earning his

B.Arch. The Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) is a bachelor's degree designed to satisfy the academic requirement of practising architecture around the world. Australia Architectural education in Australia varies depending on the university offering th ...

degree in 1915.R. Randall Vosbeck, ''A Legacy of Leadership: The Presidents of the American Institute of Architects, 1857–2007'' (Washington: American Institute of Architects, 2008) He worked for architects Albert Kahn, George D. Mason and

Marcus Burrowes Marcus R. Burrowes (1874–1953) was a notable Detroit architect. He served one year in the position of president of the Michigan Society of Architects and was a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). He was widely known in southeas ...

before opening his own office in 1922. For the first three years he shared his office with architect J. Ivan Dise but otherwise practiced alone until 1937, when he formed the firm of Ditchy–Farley–Perry, which became Ditchy–Perry–Sidnam in 1939 and dissolved in 1942. In 1959 he reorganized the firm as Clair Ditchy Associates. Ditchy remained head of the firm until his death in 1967. It was continued by his associate, Walter M. Dole, until his own death in 1972."Ditchy, Clair William" in ''American Architects Directory'' (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1956): 138. Ditchy joined the

in 1924 as a member of the

chapter. He was active in the chapter's affairs, serving as president, vice president and secretary. From 1938 to 1941 he was regional director for the Great Lakes. In 1947 he was elected secretary of the national organization, an office he filled until he was elected president in 1953, succeeding Glenn Stanton. He was elected to a second term in 1954, serving until 1955. In recognition of his contributions to the profession Ditchy was elected an honorary member of the

Royal Institute of British Architects 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 supp ...

, the

Royal Architectural Institute of Canada The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) is a not-for-profit, national organization that has represented architects and architecture for over 100 years, in existence since 1907. The RAIC is the leading voice for excellence in the built ...

, the

Colegio Nacional de Arquitectos de Cuba Colegio Nacional de Arquitectos de Cuba (C.N.A.C.) is a Cuban national institution that grew out of El Colegio de Arquitectos de La Habana. History Founding It was founded in Havana on March 13, 1916. Established by legislation, the compulsor ...

and the

Philippine Institute of Architects The Philippine Institute of Architects (PIA) is an architectural society in the Philippines and is the oldest architectural society in Asia. It is composed of noble men and women from the architectural profession of the Philippines. It was found ...

. In 1956 he was granted an honorary

Master of Architecture The “Master of Architecture”(M.Arch or MArch) or a “Bachelor of Architecture” is a professional degree in architecture, qualifying the graduate to move through the various stages of professional accreditation (internship, exams) that res ...

from the

and an honorary

Doctor of Engineering The Doctor of Engineering, or Engineering Doctorate, (abbreviated DEng, EngD, or Dr-Ing) is a degree awarded on the basis of advanced study and a practical project in the engineering and applied science for solving problems in the industry. In th ...

from the

Lawrence Institute of Technology Lawrence Technological University (LTU) (Lawrence Tech) is a private university in Southfield, Michigan. It was founded in 1932 in Highland Park, Michigan, as the Lawrence Institute of Technology (LIT) by Russell E. Lawrence. The university move ...

."Ditchy, Clair William" in ''American Architects Directory'' (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1962): 171. Ditchy was a prolific writer and speaker, publishing frequently in the local and architectural press.

Personal life and death

Ditchy was married in 1920 to Berenice Bookmyer, and they had three children. The family lived in

Royal Oak The Royal Oak is the English oak tree within which the future King Charles II of England hid to escape the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester in 1651. The tree was in Boscobel Wood, which was part of the park of Boscobel House. C ...

and were parishoners of the

National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica The National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica Catholic Church is a Catholic church in Royal Oak, Michigan. A designated national shrine, the church building is well-known for its execution in the lavish zig-zag Art Deco style. The structur ...

. Ditchy died July 31, 1967 in Royal Oak.

Architectural works

* Climax Molybdenum Company laboratory, 14410 Woodrow Wilson St,

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

(1936 and 1950) * Brewster Homes, 2700 St Antoine St,

(1938, demolished) * Shrine Catholic Grade School, 1621 Linwood Ave,

Royal Oak, Michigan Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring suburb of Detroit, Royal Oak is about north of Detroit's city limits. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 57,236. Royal Oak is located along t ...

(1938) * Parkside Homes, 5000 Conner St,

(1941) * Alice Lloyd Hall,

, Ann Arbor, Michigan (1949) * Fairbanks Elementary School (former), 8000 John C Lodge Fwy,

(1955) * Greyhound Terminal, 130 E Congress St,

(1958, demolished 1990)Dan Austin,
Greyhound Terminal (second)
, Historic Detroit, no date. Accessed December 30, 2022.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ditchy, Clair W. 1891 births 1967 deaths Architects from Ohio Architects from Detroit Fellows of the American Institute of Architects Presidents of the American Institute of Architects University of Michigan alumni 20th-century American architects