George Dahl

George Leighton Dahl (May 11, 1894 – July 18, 1987) was a prominent American architect based in Dallas, Texas during the 20th century. His most notable contributions include the Art Deco structures of Fair Park while he oversaw planning and construction of the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition. In 1970, in anticipation of imminent commercial growth brought on by the impending development of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, he designed the First National Bank of Grapevine building at 1400 South Main Street. This iconic cubist structure served as a harbinger of the area's upcoming economic development.

George Dahl
Born(1894-05-11)May 11, 1894
Minneapolis, Minnesota
DiedJuly 18, 1987(1987-07-18) (aged 93)
Dallas, Texas
NationalityAmerican
OccupationArchitect
BuildingsTitche-Goettinger Building, Hillcrest State Bank, The Dallas Morning News building, Southwestern Life building, LTV Aerospace Center, Dallas Public Library, Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium[1]
ProjectsTexas Centennial Exposition, University of Texas

Background

George Dahl was born in Minneapolis to Norwegian immigrant parents, Olaf G. and Laura (Olsen) Dahl. He received a B.Arch. from the University of Minnesota and a M.Arch. from Harvard University in 1923. He subsequently spent two years in Italy as a fellow at the American Academy in Rome.[2]

Career

In 1926, he began work for the Herbert M. Greene Co. in Dallas, Texas. He became a partner in Greene's firm in 1928, and the name of the firm was changed to Herbert M. Greene, LaRoche, and Dahl (later LaRoche and Dahl).

In 1943, Dahl founded his own firm, George Leighton Dahl, Architects and Engineers, Incorporated, with a nationwide practice. Dahl was also a pioneer in fast-track construction.[3] Upon his retirement in 1973, he had produced some 3,000 projects throughout the country that are estimated to be worth $2 billion.

Personal life

Dahl was married twice: in 1921 to Lillie E. Olsen, with whom he had one daughter, and in 1978 to Joan Renfro. Dahl died of dehydration at the age of ninety-three at his home in Dallas.

Significant work
Art Deco buildings in Fair Park
First National Bank Tower (Elm Place)
303 W. Wall St., Midland, TX; formerly the First National Bank Building, still tallest building in Midland, TX in 2018

Dallas Projects:

Year CompletedBuildingAddressNotes
1927Neiman Marcus Building1618 Main Street
1929Titche-Goettinger Building1900 Elm Street
1930Volk Brothers Building
1934Singer Building (Dallas, Texas)1514 Elm
1936Tower BuildingFair Park
1936Esplanade of StateFair Park
1936Cotton BowlFair Park
1938, 1972Hillcrest State BankFirst drive-through bank
1947Mayfair Department Store141 Elm Street
1948American Poster & Printing Building1600 S Akard Street
1949Remington Rand Building2100 N Akard Street
1949Dallas Morning News Building508 Young Street
1949Merchants State BankRoss/Henderson
1949Philipson's FashionsElm/St Paul
1950Employers Insurance Building
1950Great American Reserve Insurance Building2020 Live Oak Street
1951Park Cities YMCA6000 Preston Road
1953Mrs. Baird's BakeryCentral Expressway/Mockingbird
1955Old Dallas Central Library1954 Commerce Street
1956Congregation Shearith Israel
1957Dallas Federal Savings and Loan1505 Elm Street
1957Dallas Memorial Auditorium
1962The Whittle Music Building2733 Oak Lawn Avenue
1964Southwestern Life BuildingRoss/Akard
1965Owen Fine Art CenterSouthern Methodist University
1965First National Bank Tower1401 Elm Street
1969Turtle Creek VillageOak Lawn/Blackburn
1970LTV AerospaceGrand Prairie
1970First National Bank of Grapevine1400 South Main Street, Grapevine
1971Earle Cabell Federal Building


Other Projects:

gollark: Tsurust.
gollark: Tsur would work better.
gollark: It's not yet entirely perfect. Async isn't stable yet.
gollark: Rust is also a bit problematic but mostly seems to.work.
gollark: Yes.

References
  1. "George L. Dahl (Architectural Images)". Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
  2. "George Dahl: An Inventory of his Papers, 1916-1991". Texas Archival Resources Online. University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
  3. Dahl, George Leighton (Texas State Historical Association)
  4. "Midland's Mid-Century Modern Architecture". Texas Highways. Texas Dept. of Transportation. Archived from the original on 2018-03-29. Retrieved 2011-07-01.
  5. Barker, Evelyn and Lea Worcester. University of Texas at Arlington, the Campus History Series (Charleston: Arcadia, 2015), p.63.
  6. http://library.uta.edu/digitalgallery/items/show/23329
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