Kurt Vonnegut Sr.
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Kurt Vonnegut Sr. (November 24, 1884 – October 1, 1957) was an American architect and architectural lecturer active in early- to mid-twentieth-century
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
,
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
."Biographical on Kurt Vonnegut Sr."
, Lake Maxinkuckee Its Intrigue History & Genealogy; Culver, Marshall, Indiana
A member 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 ...
, he was partner in the firms of
Vonnegut & Bohn Vonnegut & Bohn was an architectural firm in Indianapolis, Indiana in the United States. Founded in 1888 by Bernard Vonnegut Sr., FAIA (1855–1908) and Arthur Bohn (b. 1861), all the partners were German Americans and were trained in both Ame ...
,
Vonnegut, Bohn & Mueller Vonnegut & Bohn was an architectural firm in Indianapolis, Indiana in the United States. Founded in 1888 by Bernard Vonnegut Sr., FAIA (1855–1908) and Arthur Bohn (b. 1861), all the partners were German Americans and were trained in both Am ...
, and Vonnegut, Wright, and Yeager. He designed several churches, banks, and became the in-house architect for
Indiana Bell Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th st ...
and Hooks Drug stores (prior to World War II), practicing extensively in the
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 ...
style. He was the father of chemist
Bernard Vonnegut Bernard Vonnegut (August 29, 1914 – April 25, 1997) was an American atmospheric scientist credited with discovering that silver iodide could be used effectively in cloud seeding to produce snow and rain. He was the older brother of Americ ...
and author
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. In a career spanning over 50 years, he published fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and ...


Early life and education

Kurt Vonnegut Sr. was born on November 24, 1884, in
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
,
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, to Nannie Schnull Vonnegut (d. 1929), daughter of Henry Schnull, and Bernard Vonnegut I (1855–1908), an architect and partner in the well-established firm of Vonnegut & Bohn. He attended grammar school from 1890 to 1898 (Indianapolis Public School No. 10) and
Shortridge High School Shortridge High School is a public high school located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Shortridge is the home of the International Baccalaureate and arts and humanities programs of the Indianapolis Public Schools district.(IPS). Originall ...
. Vonnegut attended the American College in
Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
for three years from around 1902 and earned a
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
in architecture from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
in 1908. That same year, he continued his studies in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, and was admitted to the Königliche Akademie der Künste for the semester 1908–1909. He was traveling "with his widowed mother and his sister, Irma" (later Irma Vonnegut Lindener), returning in 1910 to join his father's surviving partner,
Arthur Bohn Arthur Bohn, AIA, (1861–1948) was an American architect active from the 1880s to 1940s in Indiana. The firm went on to create many landmarks in Indianapolis and greater Indiana, and a number have been listed on the National Register of Histo ...
.


Practice

Vonnegut joined as a partner in Vonnegut & Bohn, and while there he joined the University Club and taught
lettering Lettering is an umbrella term that covers the art of drawing letters, instead of simply writing them. Lettering is considered an art form, where each letter in a phrase or quote acts as an illustration. Each letter is created with attention to d ...
at the Herron Art Institute from 1912 to 1913 and architectural history from 1913 to 1915, and headed the Art Association of Indianapolis' Art School Committee from 1915 to 1927. He designed the original logo for the Indianapolis Children's Museum. The firm did little during the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
and eventually the firm was renamed Vonnegut, Bohn & Mueller Architects with the addition of another partner. In 1946, Kurt Vonnegut Sr. was the sole partner and merged with the firms Pierre & Wright (of Indianapolis, Indiana) and
Miller & Yeager Miller & Yeager was an architectural firm in Terre Haute, Indiana in the United States. It was founded in 1925 by Ewing Miller and Ralph Oscar Yeager, AIA, (b. August 16, 1892).Terre Haute, Indiana Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...
) to form
Vonnegut, Wright & Yeager Vonnegut, Wright & Yeager was an architectural firm active in mid-twentieth-century Indiana. The firm was organized in 1946 as a partnership between the surviving partners of three Indiana firms: Kurt Vonnegut Sr. (1884–1957) of Vonnegut, ...
, which was located at 1126 Hume Mansur Building, Indianapolis, and 402 Opera House Building, Terre Haute.Questionnaire for Architects’ Roster and/or Register of Architects Qualified for Federal Public Works
, June 13, 1946.


Personal life

On November 22, 1913, Vonnegut married Edith Sophia Lieber (d. May 14, 1944), the daughter of millionaire Indianapolis brewer Albert Lieber and Alice Barus, who had died of pneumonia when Edith was six. Shortly thereafter, Albert Lieber married Ora D. Lane, and later Meda Langtry, a widow near the same age as Edith. Kurt and Edith Vonnegut had had three children:
Bernard Vonnegut Bernard Vonnegut (August 29, 1914 – April 25, 1997) was an American atmospheric scientist credited with discovering that silver iodide could be used effectively in cloud seeding to produce snow and rain. He was the older brother of Americ ...
(1914–1997), Alice Vonnegut (1917–1958); and
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. In a career spanning over 50 years, he published fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and ...
(1922–2007). Through Lieber's father, a trust fund from Lieber's grandfather (Peter Lieber), an inheritance from Vonnegut's mother, and Vonnegut's architectural practice, the family was
upper-middle class In sociology, the upper middle class is the social group constituted by higher status members of the middle class. This is in contrast to the term ''lower middle class'', which is used for the group at the opposite end of the middle-class strat ...
, although during the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
the Leiber brewery went bankrupt and Vonnegut & Bohn produced next to nothing. Around this time, Vonnegut designed and built a large brick residence for his family located at 4401 N. Illinois Street in Indianapolis. The home was heavily
mortgage A mortgage loan or simply mortgage (), in civil law jurisdicions known also as a hypothec loan, is a loan used either by purchasers of real property to raise funds to buy real estate, or by existing property owners to raise funds for any pu ...
d and was eventually sold during the Depression. A smaller house was designed and built in the suburban development of
Williams Creek, Indiana Williams Creek is a town in Washington Township, Marion County, Indiana. It is located about north of downtown Indianapolis and is slightly northeast of the neighboring Town of Meridian Hills. Williams Creek was originally planned as an excl ...
in 1941. Its basement featured a small shop with a kiln for ceramics. The Vonnegut children attended good schools: Bernard attended Park School and earned a
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
and PhD in Chemistry from
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
; Alice attended Tudor Hall School for Girls; Kurt Jr. attended private schools until the third grade, when he was removed for financial reasons, then attended Indianapolis Public School No. 43,
Shortridge High School Shortridge High School is a public high school located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Shortridge is the home of the International Baccalaureate and arts and humanities programs of the Indianapolis Public Schools district.(IPS). Originall ...
and
Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
, where he studied physics, chemistry, and math before enlisting in the
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
as a private 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 ...
. Following Edith's death in 1944, Kurt remained somewhat isolated, eventually moving to a small cottage near
Nashville, Indiana Nashville is a town in Washington Township, Brown County, Indiana, United States. The population was 803 at the 2010 census. The town is the county seat of Brown County and is the county's only incorporated town. The town is best known as the c ...
. Kurt was a lifetime smoker, suffered from
emphysema Emphysema, or pulmonary emphysema, is a lower respiratory tract disease, characterised by air-filled spaces ( pneumatoses) in the lungs, that can vary in size and may be very large. The spaces are caused by the breakdown of the walls of the alve ...
, and died on October 1, 1957, at his home from
lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...
without treatment. He was buried on October 3, 1957 in the Vonnegut lot in
Crown Hill Cemetery Crown Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located at 700 West 38th Street in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. The privately owned cemetery was established in 1863 at Strawberry Hill, whose summit was renamed "The Crown", a high poi ...
next to his wife and parents. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. wrote of his brother's profession, his mother's death, and of his father as an architect, writing in '' Hocus Pocus'' that "Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance."Quotations by Kurt Vonnegut
at quotationspage.com


Works

*The first building of All Souls Unitarian Church, 1453 N. Alabama Street, Indianapolis, Indiana *
Anderson Bank Building The Anderson Bank Building is a historic bank building located at Anderson, Indiana Anderson, named after Chief William Anderson, is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Anders ...
in
Anderson, Indiana Anderson, named after Chief William Anderson, is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Madison County. Anderson is ...
*He also designed signature Art Deco buildings for Indiana Bell throughout the state and new buildings for Hooks Drug stores prior to World War II *Indiana Bell Telephone Building in Indianapolis, Indiana * The Schultz Department Store (1913), 216 N. Fourth Street, Lafayette, Indiana, now called the Schultz Walgamuth Building *Kurt Vonnegut Sr. residence (c. 1929), 4365 North Illinois Street, Indianapolis, 4th Ward Washington Township,
Marion County, Indiana Marion County is located in the U.S. state of Indiana. The 2020 United States census, 2020 United States census reported a population of 977,203, making it the largest county in the state and 51st List of the most populous counties in the United ...
*Kurt Vonnegut Sr. residence in
Williams Creek, Indiana Williams Creek is a town in Washington Township, Marion County, Indiana. It is located about north of downtown Indianapolis and is slightly northeast of the neighboring Town of Meridian Hills. Williams Creek was originally planned as an excl ...
(1941)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vonnegut, Kurt, Sr. 1884 births 1957 deaths 20th-century American architects American ecclesiastical architects Architects from Indianapolis Art Deco architects Beaux Arts architects Burials at Crown Hill Cemetery Indiana University people MIT School of Architecture and Planning alumni People from Brown County, Indiana Shortridge High School alumni Vonnegut family