Residence of Allen Tupper Exposition Blvd New Orleans 1907

Rathbone Emile DeBuys (December 1, 1874 − June 27, 1960) was an American architect and sailing enthusiast based in New Orleans, Louisiana. On December 1, 1874, he was born to James Gaspard De Buys, a cotton magnate, and Elizabeth Maria Stella Rathbone.

Education

He attended

Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...

and graduated with a degree in 1896 in civil engineering and later in 1897 with a degree in architecture. In 1897, he received his doctorate from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

where he was a student in the Gerald Sheffield School of the Art.

Career

After college, he joined the Architectural firm De Buys, Churchill & Labouisse from 1905 until 1912. He is credited with designing numerous historically significant buildings in Louisiana and Mississippi, including the

Lauren Rogers Museum of Art Mississippi's first art museum, the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art is located in Laurel, Mississippi, United States. It was founded in 1923 in memory of Lauren Eastman Rogers. The museum has an extensive collection of Native American baskets. It al ...

and the

Southern Yacht Club The Southern Yacht Club is located in New Orleans, Louisiana's West End neighborhood, on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. Established on July 21, 1849, it is the fifthe oldest yacht club in the United States and a founding member of the Gulf Y ...

, where he was also a member. He also designed the Hattiesburg Postoffice, Pine Hills Hotel at Pass Christian, Gulf Park College at Gulfport, Brookhaven Bank and Trust Company, and Y. M. C. A. Building at Picayune. In his home state of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, he is credited with designing the layout for the city of

Bogalusa, Louisiana Bogalusa is a city in Washington Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 12,232 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. In th2020 censusthe city, town, place equivalent reported a population of 10,659. It is the principal city ...

in 1906. He also was the architect for several Catholic churches, banks, and school buildings. He designed or contributed to the design of

Loyola University New Orleans Loyola University New Orleans is a Private university, private Jesuit university in New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the name o ...

's Thomas hall, "Gesu" McDermott Memorial church, Nicholas D. Burke Seismic Observatory, and Marquette hall. He also designed the City Bank & Trust building, New Orleans Country club, Tulane gymnasium, Richardson Memorial dormitory, Henderson Sugar Refinery, and the residences of Nelson Whitney and Mrs. John A. Morris. As chairman of the Southern Yacht Club, DeBuys helped design the one-design

Fish class sloop The Fish class sloop, also known informally as the Fish Boat, is a one-design sailboat designed in 1919 by New Orleans resident Rathbone DeBuys, member of the Southern Yacht Club. It is reputed to have been the most popular sailboat racing class on ...

in 1919 in part to help renew interest in sailing post-World War I and to make it more affordable for beginners. It quickly became the most popular one design class in the Gulf South and the primary one-design racing dinghy for the

Gulf Yachting Association The Gulf Yachting Association (GYA) formed in 1901, is a non-profit organization consisting of 39 member and affiliate yacht club's from Houston, TX to Sarasota, FL along the Gulf of Mexico in the United States. Organized specifically to further t ...

Personal life

DeBuys married Corine Sophia Isabelle Von Meysenberg on February 2, 1901. The couple had three children; Alice Olga, Maxine Elinor, and Alfred Rivalier.

Death

DeBuys died after succumbing to a short illness in the summer of 1960 at the age of 85.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:DeBuys, Rathbone 1874 births 1960 deaths Architects from New Orleans Tulane University alumni Architects from Louisiana