Kenneth Roderick O'Neal
Kenneth Roderick O'Neal | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 30, 1908 |
| Died | March 17, 1989 |
| Other names | K. Roderick O'Neal, Kenneth R. O'Neal |
| Alma mater | University of Iowa, Armour Institute |
| Occupation(s) | Architect, engineer, painter |
Kenneth Roderick O'Neal (1908–1989), was an American architect, engineer, and painter of the Harlem Renaissance.[1][2][3] He founded the first Black-owned and led architecture firm in downtown Chicago.[4] O'Neal was architecturally trained by former Bauhaus instructors under the direction of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe,[2] and served as a mentor for early career architects including Beverly Lorraine Greene,[4] John Moutoussamy,[5] and Georgia Louise Harris Brown.[6]
Biography
Kenneth Roderick O'Neal was born on July 30, 1908 in Union, Franklin County, Missouri.[1][7] He attended Sumner High School in St. Louis, MO.[2]
O'Neal graduated with a B.A. degree (1931) in graphic design, and a B.S. degree (1935) in civil engineering from University of Iowa.[2] While pursuing his engineering degree, O'Neal submitted an oil painting to the Harmon Foundation in New York City as part of their 1933 Exhibition of Work by Negro artists.
In 1937, O'Neal moved to Chicago to work as an civil engineer for the Illinois Highway Department. He attend classes at Armour Institute (1938), now Illinois Institute of Technology, and studied under former Bauhaus instructors, exiled from Germany, such as, Ludwig Hilberseimer, architect, urban planner, and colleague of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.[2]
As an engineer, he joined the National Technical Association, a professional organization of African American engineers. Before becoming a licensed architect, O'Neal worked a year freelancing for architect, Walter T. Bailey, [5] and by July 1941, O'Neal became licensed as an architect in the state of Illinois.
In 1942, at age 34, O'Neal was drafted into the US Army as a technical sergeant for the Negro army. A year after WWII ended, O'Neal opened the first Black-owned architecture firm in downtown Chicago.[4]
The first and second African American women to become licensed architects in the United States, Beverly Lorraine Greene [4][8] and Georgia Louise Harris Brown, respectively, worked in O'Neal's office.[1][9][6] Architect, John Moutoussamy also worked at the firm while a student attending IIT.[5] O'Neal published two design books: "A Portfolio of Modern Homes" (1949),[10] and "A Volume of Contemporary Homes" (1980).
In 1958, O'Neal closed his doors and opened up a home office when he accepted a position as architect with the City of Chicago, Bureau of Architecture, Department of Public Works. This allowed him to continue practicing as an architect on private projects, such as residential, commercial, and churches.
A year after retirement from the city architect's office (1983),[2] he and his wife Margaret moved, to Tucson, Arizona, briefly, followed by a move to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he received architecture licensure reciprocity. He died at age 80 on March 17, 1989, in Honolulu, HI.[11] and is inurned at Punchbowl, the National Cemetery of the Pacific.
O'Neal was married three times. With his third wife, Margaret, they raised three sons, Kenneth, Jr., Ronald, and Brian.[1]
Work
- Lawrence E. Smith residence (1964), 8348 South Calumet, Chicago, Illinois[5]
Publications
- O'Neal, K. Roderick (1949). A Portfolio of Modern Homes. Architectural Drafting Bureau.
- O'Neal, Kenneth R. (1980). A Volume of Contemporary Homes. Ork Enterprises.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Wilson, Dreck Spurlock (2004-03-01). African American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-95628-8.
- ^ a b c d e f "Kenneth Roderick O'Neal". Missouri Remembers. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ Negro Artists: An Illustrated Review of Their Achievements. Harmon Foundation. Harmon Foundation incorporated. 1935. p. 53.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ a b c d "Greene, Beverly Lorraine". Oxford African American Studies Center. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780195301731.013.38493. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ a b c d "At Home in Chatham: A Bounty of Mid-Century Modern on the South Side, Where the African-American Elite Once "Strutted Their Stuff"". Newcity Design. 2015-11-19. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ a b "Engineer Archives". Landmarks Illinois. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ Burkett, Randall K.; Burkett, Nancy Hall; Gates Jr., Henry Louis (1991). Black Biography, 1790-1950: K-Z. Chadwyck-Healey. p. 219. ISBN 978-0-89887-085-5.
- ^ Bolden, Tonya (2020-03-03). Changing the Equation: 50+ US Black Women in STEM. Abrams. pp. 69–71. ISBN 978-1-68335-629-5.
- ^ "Georgia Louise Harris Brown". Docomomo-us.org. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ Books and Pamphlets, Including Serials and Contributions to Periodicals. Library of Congress Copyright Office. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1949. pp. 23, 230.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "Obituary for Kenneth Roderick O'Neal". The Honolulu Advertiser. 1989-03-20. p. 7. Retrieved 2023-02-22.