John Randal McDonald (1922-2003) was an American architect who worked in the 1950s and 1960s. McDonald was born in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...

in 1922 and served in World War II as an officer in the U.S. Navy before pursuing a degree in architecture. After a brief stint in the fine arts program at the State Teacher's College, McDonald decided to pursue his interest in architecture at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

. McDonald's work has often been compared to Wright's because nature is a continuous theme in his design—he emphasized the importance of a natural setting and the use of natural materials. McDonald also encouraged homeowners to be aware of the elegance of the natural environment, thereby making them more sensitive to nature. McDonald designed unique homes that not only appealed to the general-public, but were affordable. Initially, McDonald's designs were predominantly for private residences; however, as years passed and his success and reputation increased, he was commissioned to design monasteries, hotels, factories, dormitories, schools, and churches across the country and abroad. McDonald constructed his first house, located at 801 Lathrop Avenue, Racine, Wisconsin in 1949. McDonald and his family lived in the house for several years before moving to another home he designed located at 1001 Russet Street, also in Racine. In addition to Racine, McDonald designed several private, public, and religious buildings in Milwaukee and Kenosha. He also made a house in Brookfield Wisconsin. With his continued success, McDonald expanded his business and moved to

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

in 1963. He designed at least two homes in

Temple Terrace, Florida Temple Terrace is an incorporated city in northeastern Hillsborough County, Florida, United States, adjacent to Tampa. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 26,690. It is the third and smallest incorporated municipality in Hillsb ...

. McDonald was successful throughout his life as he designed hotels, banks, churches, and marinas throughout the world, as well as homes for various celebrities, such as Björn Borg, Mickey Mantle, Perry Como, Jimmy Connors, James Garner and Maureen O'Hara. McDonald died in 2003. McDonald had many apprentices in his career; the last was Tom Bloczynski of

Marshfield, Wisconsin Marshfield is a city in northwest Wood and southwest Marathon counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 10, Highway 13 and Highway 97. The largest city in Wood County, its population was 18,929 at t ...

. Bloczynski remained until McDonald's death in December 2003,Brief obituary
and subsequently completed McDonald's unfinished projects.

References and external links

John R. McDonald's WebsiteWebsite of Tom Bloczynski, John R. McDonald's Last Apprentice

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McDonald, John Randal 20th-century American architects 2003 deaths Architects from Milwaukee 1922 births Yale University alumni United States Navy personnel of World War II