Dan Everett Waid (1864–1939) was a prominent 20th century
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 ...
operating primarily in
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
and
New York. As chief architect for the
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
MetLife, Inc. is the holding corporation for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MLIC), better known as MetLife, and its affiliates. MetLife is among the largest global providers of insurance, annuities, and employee benefit programs, wi ...
(
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
), he and his partner designed the Home Office Building at
11 Madison Avenue along with dozens of other commercial, religious, residential and academic structures. He was appointed architect for the Board of Foreign Missions of the
Presbyterian Church. He was also 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 ...
(1924–1926).
Early life
Waid was born in
Gouverneur, New York
Gouverneur (pronounced GUH-vuh-nor) is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,526. That down from 7,085 in 2010. The town is named after statesman and landowner Gouverneur Morri ...
on March 31, 1864. At the age of 14, his family moved to
Monmouth, Illinois
Monmouth is a city in and the county seat of Warren County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,902 at the 2020 census, down from 9,444 in 2010. It is the home of Monmouth College and contains Monmouth Park, Harmon Park, North Park, Warf ...
, and after high school, he studied architecture at
Monmouth College
Monmouth College is a private Presbyterian liberal arts college in Monmouth, Illinois. Monmouth enrolls approximately 900 students from 21 countries who choose courses from 40 major programs, 43 minors, and 17 pre-professional programs in a ...
.
Waid graduated from
Monmouth College
Monmouth College is a private Presbyterian liberal arts college in Monmouth, Illinois. Monmouth enrolls approximately 900 students from 21 countries who choose courses from 40 major programs, 43 minors, and 17 pre-professional programs in a ...
in
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
in 1887. The son of a
dentist, he began his career as a
bookkeeper at the site of the construction of a large
grain elevator at
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a r ...
, where he gained knowledge of practical
construction
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form Physical object, objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Pr ...
methods.
Career
In 1888 he moved to
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, securing a position as a draftsman in the office of prominent architects
Jenney & Mundie, where he rose to the position of head draftsman.
In 1894, after taking a course at
The Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and list of largest art museums, largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visit ...
, he became an independent architect. Shortly thereafter, Waid submitted two designs for buildings at Monmouth College (Illinois). Having moved to New York City by 1898, Waid and an associate submitted the winning design in a competition for the
Long Island College Hospital
University Hospital of Brooklyn at Long Island College Hospital (or LICH) was a 506-bed teaching hospital located in the Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill neighborhoods of Brooklyn, New York. The hospital was founded in 1858 as Long Island Coll ...
in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York where they acted as their own
draftsmen and specification writers. When that job was completed, they opened a small office on
Fifth Avenue in New York City and were also appointed architect for the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church, which had offices in the same building. This led to his design of hospitals in
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...
and
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
as well as schools in the western United States and
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
.
During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Waid served as deputy director of production and as one of the executives of the organization of architects that designed and built housing structures for some twenty-five shipbuilding yards.
[Staff. (February 2, 1934]
"Mrs. Colmore Wed to D. Everett Waid
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
''
Waid's career reached its pinnacle when he became chief architect for the
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
MetLife, Inc. is the holding corporation for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MLIC), better known as MetLife, and its affiliates. MetLife is among the largest global providers of insurance, annuities, and employee benefit programs, wi ...
and designed, with his business partner
Harvey Wiley Corbett
Harvey Wiley Corbett (January 8, 1873 – April 21, 1954) was an American architect primarily known for skyscraper and office building designs in New York and London, and his advocacy of tall buildings and modernism in architecture.
Early life ...
, the Home Office Building at 11 Madison Avenue and now known as the
Metropolitan Life North Building
The Metropolitan Life North Building, now known as Eleven Madison, is a 30-story art deco skyscraper in the Flatiron District adjacent to Madison Square Park in Manhattan, New York City, at 11-25 Madison Avenue. The building is bordered by Eas ...
. Originally planned to be the tallest building in the world at 100 stories, it was a victim of the depression and was capped off at 29 floors. In stark contrast with his early work, the modern office building would eschew, “extraneous ornament or embellishment which has not a rational meaning and practical use” and that it would be “unhampered by
archaeological precedent.”
He was President of the New York state Board of Examiners and Registration of Architects from 1915 until 1923.
Waid was also a consulting architect for the
Empire State Building and
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th Street and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco buildings, commissioned by the Rockefeller family, span th ...
in New York City. He also was involved with the
B.F. Goodrich Company buildings in
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 ...
.
Later life, awards and philanthropy
Waid 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 ...
from 1924-1926 and was elevated to a
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 ...
. He was awarded a Gold Medal by the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
He endowed a fine arts department at Monmouth College in memory of his first wife Eva Clark Waid (January 1869—June 1929). He also donated $80,000 towards a new gymnasium that his firm was designing and then topped off that gift with another $10,000 to build the Waid Swimming Pool in that building. At the time of his death, the Waids were the largest donors in the history of the college. He married a second time, to Phyllis Fellowes Colmore, a British subject, on Feb. 2, 1934 but had no children from either marriage.
In 1936, he restored the bronze and marble
Pulitzer Fountain in New York City. More significantly, he left $300,000 to the American Institute of Architects.
Waid died on October 31, 1939 at
Old Greenwich
Old Greenwich is an affluent coastal village in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 6,611.
The town of Greenwich is one political and taxing body, but consists of several distinct section ...
, Conn.
Projects
Among the many buildings Waid designed were:
![Monmouth College Auditorium (Engraving, 1897)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Monmouth_College_Auditorium_%28Engraving%2C_1897%29.jpg)
* Girl's Mutual Benefit Club (Chicago 1892,
Richardsonian Romanesque)
* Monmouth College Auditorium & Gymnasium (1895, Richardsonian Romanesque, not built)
* Monmouth College Auditorium & Chapel (1895, Monmouth, Ill., Old English Chapel)
* Fifth Presbyterian Church (Chicago 1896,
Gothic Revival)
![-3458 - 180 Wellington St](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/-3458_-_180_Wellington_St._Wellington_Building_%285%29.jpg)
* Free Public Library of the Medical Society of the County of Kings,
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
(1897)
* Numerous residences in the Chicago area including in
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston ( ) is a city, suburb of Chicago. Located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, it is situated on the North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is north of Downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, ...
in 1900 and his own residence in Chicago at 9332 S. Damen Avenue (1894,
American Queen Anne)
* McGregor Sanitarium near
Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over ...
, N.Y., a complex of over 30 buildings (started 1911,
American Craftsman; except chapel built in
Mission Revival
The Mission Revival style was part of an architectural movement, beginning in the late 19th century, for the revival and reinterpretation of American colonial styles. Mission Revival drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century ...
)
* Perrot Library in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, inspired by
Monticello
Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...
, the home of
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...
(
Jeffersonian Neo-Classical)
*
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Hall of Records,
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as en ...
, listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 2014.
* Monmouth College Gymnasium (1923)
*
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower, northern annex, in New York City (1921); demolished to make way for Metropolitan Life North Building also designed by Waid
* Metropolitan Life Building now
Wellington Building, House of Commons,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
(1926,
Beaux-Arts)
* Buildings at
The College of Wooster
The College of Wooster is a private liberal arts college in Wooster, Ohio. Founded in 1866 by the Presbyterian Church as the University of Wooster, it has been officially non-sectarian since 1969 when ownership ties with the Presbyterian Churc ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
including President's House (c. 1926, Gothic Revival), Douglass Hall (1929,
Collegiate Gothic), Galpin Hall (1932, Gothic Revival), Babcock Hall (1936, Collegiate Gothic) and at least one of the Henderson Memorial Apartments (1939).
* Home Office Building in New York City also known as the
Metropolitan Life North Building
The Metropolitan Life North Building, now known as Eleven Madison, is a 30-story art deco skyscraper in the Flatiron District adjacent to Madison Square Park in Manhattan, New York City, at 11-25 Madison Avenue. The building is bordered by Eas ...
, New York City (started 1928, finished 1950,
Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waid, Dan Everett
1864 births
1939 deaths
20th-century American architects
Monmouth College alumni
American Presbyterians