John Desmond
Encyclopedia
John Jacob Desmond was an American
architect
in Baton Rouge
, Louisiana
, who designed such public buildings as the Baton Rouge River Center, the Louisiana State University
Student Union, Bluebonnet Swamp Interpretive Center, Louisiana Arts and Sciences Center, Louisiana State Archives, the Pennington Biomedical Research Center
, Louisiana State Library, and the Louisiana Naval Museum. He also designed the United States Embassy building in Monrovia, Liberia, the Lindy Boggs Center (named for former U.S. Representative Corrine "Lindy" Boggs
) at his own alma mater
, Tulane University
in New Orleans, and the cafeteria
at Southeastern Louisiana University
in Hammond
, the principal city of Tangipahoa Parish.
Desmond and his firm, Desmond, Miremont & Burks, later John Desmond and Associates, also designed numerous churches, including Grace Memorial Episcopal
Church in Hammond and St. Joseph's Cathedral, Westminster Presbyterian
Church of Baton Rouge, Our Lady of Mercy Catholic
Church (his own congregation), and the Catholic Life Center, all in Baton Rouge.
, to Timothy J. Desmond and the former Rose Isabelle Dvorak (1886–1982), but he lived most of his life in Hammond and Baton Rouge. He graduated from Hammond High School
in 1937 and thereafter procured his Bachelor of Architecture
degree from Tulane. He obtained a Master of Architecture
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
in Cambridge
, where he studied under the American Institute of Architects
gold medal winners William Wurster
and Alvar Aalto
, a native of Finland
.
During World War II
, Desmond served in the United States Navy
as a second lieutenant
aboard the destroyer
USS Madison
, which escorted convoys across the Atlantic
. He saw action in the Battle of Anzio, Italy
, in the Mediterranean
. After the war, upon finishing his education, he worked for Skidmore Owings & Merrill in New York City
, architect A. Hays Town
in Baton Rouge, and for the Tennessee Valley Authority
in Knoxville, Tennessee
. In 1953, he returned to Hammond to open the first architectural practice in the Florida Parishes
of southeastern Louisiana. He was the Tangipahoa Parish School Board architect for some twenty years.
design elements into modern structures. His pen-and-ink drawings have been exhibited across the nation and published internationally. He received a "Lifetime Achievement Award from the Louisiana chapter of the AIA. Desmond's firm held offices in Hammond and Baton Rouge until the 1970s, when he worked exclusively out of Baton Rouge. He also taught architecture at Tulane, LSU, and historically black Southern University
in Baton Rouge. His drawings and photographs have been featured in numerous national and international magazines and have been exhibited in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Washington, D.C.
, and New York City. His work is featured in his book, Louisiana’s Antebellum Architecture, published in 1970 by Claitor's in Baton Rouge.
In 1986, the Foundation for Historical Louisiana awarded Desmond its most prestigious honor, the Preservation Award, which he received for focusing upon awareness of the past through his work as a preservationist
and for his historically-influenced modern designs. Desmond was described as both "talented and generous-spirited." Eskew, one of the designers of the award-winning Louisiana State Museum
in Baton Rouge, noted how Desmond was able to weave a "large building masterfully in a canopy of existing mature oaks" in the establishment of the LSU Student Union.
Desmond was a fellow in the A.I.A. for "Significant Contribution to Design". He was "Outstanding Alumnus" of the Tulane School of Architecture. He was cited for "Excellence in the Arts" by the Arts Council of the Mayor
-President, combined Baton Rouge municipal and East Baton Rouge Parish office. His professional papers and drawings (1954–2003) are held in the archives at LSU’s Hill Memorial Library.
in Zachary
in East Baton Rouge Parish. He was survived by his second wife, Nell Lentz-Desmond; a brother Gerald Desmond of Fremont, California
; three children, John Michael Desmond (born ca. 1952) of Baton Rouge, James Russell Desmond (born ca. 1955) of New Orleans, and Margaret Desmond Dahm (born ca. 1960) of Asheville, North Carolina
, and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife and the mother of his children, the former Ella Blanche Russell of Magnolia
in Pike County
in southwestern Mississippi
, and a sister, Eileen Desmond Kahn (1923–2002) of Wilmington, Delaware
. He also had two stepdaughters, Sharon Elizabeth Lentz Moran and Jan Susan Lentz, both of Baton Rouge, and two stepsons, Paul Stephen Lentz (born ca. 1959) of Walker
in Livingston Parish, and David Merrill Lentz (born ca. 1962) of Denham Springs
, also in Livingston Parish. He had four grandchildren and five step-grandchildren. A mass of Christian
burial was celebrated on March 31, 2008, at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church. Interment followed in Resthaven Gardens of Memory on the Old Jefferson Highway in Baton Rouge.
Desmond's passing came four months after the death of another Louisiana architect, Hugh G. Parker, Jr., of Monroe
and Bastrop
. Having overcome childhood polio, Parker (1934–2007), in a 45-year career, designed such structures as the 16-story Wyly Tower at Louisiana Tech University
in Ruston
, the Monroe/West Monroe
Convention and Visitors Bureau, the football
and baseball
stadiums of the University of Louisiana at Monroe
, Bastrop City Hall, and numerous churches and school buildings.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
in Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, who designed such public buildings as the Baton Rouge River Center, the Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
Student Union, Bluebonnet Swamp Interpretive Center, Louisiana Arts and Sciences Center, Louisiana State Archives, the Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
The Pennington Biomedical Research Center, located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a campus of the Louisiana State University System and conducts both clinical and basic research. According to its website, its mission is to promote healthier lives through research and education in nutrition and...
, Louisiana State Library, and the Louisiana Naval Museum. He also designed the United States Embassy building in Monrovia, Liberia, the Lindy Boggs Center (named for former U.S. Representative Corrine "Lindy" Boggs
Lindy Boggs
Marie Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs, usually known as Lindy Boggs , is a United States political figure who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and later as ambassador to the Vatican. She was the first woman elected to Congress from Louisiana...
) at his own alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
in New Orleans, and the cafeteria
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
at Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University is a state-funded public university in Hammond, Louisiana, United States. It was founded in 1925 by Linus A. Sims, the principal of Hammond High School, as Hammond Junior College, located in a wing of the high school building. Sims succeeded in getting the campus...
in Hammond
Hammond, Louisiana
Hammond is the largest city in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,049 at the 2009 census. It is home to Southeastern Louisiana University...
, the principal city of Tangipahoa Parish.
Desmond and his firm, Desmond, Miremont & Burks, later John Desmond and Associates, also designed numerous churches, including Grace Memorial Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
Church in Hammond and St. Joseph's Cathedral, Westminster Presbyterian
Presbyterian Church in America
The Presbyterian Church in America is an evangelical Protestant Christian denomination, the second largest Presbyterian church body in the United States after the Presbyterian Church . The PCA professes a strong commitment to evangelism, missionary work, and Christian education...
Church of Baton Rouge, Our Lady of Mercy Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
Church (his own congregation), and the Catholic Life Center, all in Baton Rouge.
Early years, education, military
Desmond was born in Denver, ColoradoDenver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, to Timothy J. Desmond and the former Rose Isabelle Dvorak (1886–1982), but he lived most of his life in Hammond and Baton Rouge. He graduated from Hammond High School
Hammond High School (Louisiana)
Hammond Magnet High School, founded in 1866, is a public high school located in an unincorporated part of the 7th Ward of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States, east of Hammond. It is the second largest high school in the Tangipahoa Parish Public School System...
in 1937 and thereafter procured his Bachelor of Architecture
Bachelor of Architecture
The Bachelor of Architecture is an undergraduate academic degree designed to satisfy the academic component of professional accreditation bodies, to be followed by a period of practical training prior to professional examination and registration. It is awarded for a course of study that lasts up...
degree from Tulane. He obtained a Master of Architecture
Master of Architecture
The Master of Architecture is a professional degree in architecture, qualifying the graduate to move through the various stages of professional accreditation that result in receiving a license.-Overview:...
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
in Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, where he studied under the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects 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 support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
gold medal winners William Wurster
William Wurster
William Wilson Wurster was an American architect and architectural teacher at the University of California, Berkeley and at MIT, best known for his residential designs in California. - Biography :...
and Alvar Aalto
Alvar Aalto
Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto was a Finnish architect and designer. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware...
, a native of Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Desmond served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
aboard the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
USS Madison
USS Madison
USS Madison may refer to:, was a 14 gun schooner launched in 1812 on Lake Ontario and served in the War of 1812, was a Van Buren-class schooner built in 1832 for United States Revenue Service and was returned to the Treasury Department and later to the United States Coastal Survey., was a...
, which escorted convoys across the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. He saw action in the Battle of Anzio, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, in the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. After the war, upon finishing his education, he worked for Skidmore Owings & Merrill in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, architect A. Hays Town
A. Hays Town
A. Hays Town was an American architect whose career spanned over sixty-five years. While Town designed commercial and governmental buildings in the style of modern architecture for the first forty years of his career, he became best known for his residential architecture, which was heavily...
in Baton Rouge, and for the Tennessee Valley Authority
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
. In 1953, he returned to Hammond to open the first architectural practice in the Florida Parishes
Florida Parishes
The Florida Parishes , also known as the North Shore region, are eight parishes in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana, which were part of West Florida in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Unlike much of Louisiana, this region was not part of the Louisiana Purchase, as it had been...
of southeastern Louisiana. He was the Tangipahoa Parish School Board architect for some twenty years.
Excellence in architecture
Allen Eskew, a New Orleans architect who was influenced by Desmond's style, told the reporter Jeremy Harper of the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate that Desmond was "really one of the giants of midcentury modern Louisiana architecture." He could incorporate early AcadianAcadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
design elements into modern structures. His pen-and-ink drawings have been exhibited across the nation and published internationally. He received a "Lifetime Achievement Award from the Louisiana chapter of the AIA. Desmond's firm held offices in Hammond and Baton Rouge until the 1970s, when he worked exclusively out of Baton Rouge. He also taught architecture at Tulane, LSU, and historically black Southern University
Southern University
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
in Baton Rouge. His drawings and photographs have been featured in numerous national and international magazines and have been exhibited in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and New York City. His work is featured in his book, Louisiana’s Antebellum Architecture, published in 1970 by Claitor's in Baton Rouge.
In 1986, the Foundation for Historical Louisiana awarded Desmond its most prestigious honor, the Preservation Award, which he received for focusing upon awareness of the past through his work as a preservationist
Preservationist
Preservationist is generally understood to mean historic preservationist: one who advocates to preserve architecturally or historically significant buildings, structures, objects or sites from demolition or degradation...
and for his historically-influenced modern designs. Desmond was described as both "talented and generous-spirited." Eskew, one of the designers of the award-winning Louisiana State Museum
Louisiana State Museum
The Louisiana State Museum , founded in New Orleans in 1906 and still headquartered there, is a complex of National Historic Landmarks housing thousands of artifacts and works of art reflecting Louisiana's legacy of historic events and cultural diversity....
in Baton Rouge, noted how Desmond was able to weave a "large building masterfully in a canopy of existing mature oaks" in the establishment of the LSU Student Union.
Desmond was a fellow in the A.I.A. for "Significant Contribution to Design". He was "Outstanding Alumnus" of the Tulane School of Architecture. He was cited for "Excellence in the Arts" by the Arts Council of the Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
-President, combined Baton Rouge municipal and East Baton Rouge Parish office. His professional papers and drawings (1954–2003) are held in the archives at LSU’s Hill Memorial Library.
Death
Desmond, who was retired, died at Lane Memorial HospitalHospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
in Zachary
Zachary, Louisiana
Zachary is a city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States, in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 11,275 at the 2000 census.-History:...
in East Baton Rouge Parish. He was survived by his second wife, Nell Lentz-Desmond; a brother Gerald Desmond of Fremont, California
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
; three children, John Michael Desmond (born ca. 1952) of Baton Rouge, James Russell Desmond (born ca. 1955) of New Orleans, and Margaret Desmond Dahm (born ca. 1960) of Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
, and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife and the mother of his children, the former Ella Blanche Russell of Magnolia
Magnolia, Mississippi
Magnolia is a city in Pike County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 2071 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pike County, which lies within the McComb, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in Pike County
Pike County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,940 people, 14,792 households, and 10,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 95 people per square mile . There were 16,720 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile...
in southwestern Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, and a sister, Eileen Desmond Kahn (1923–2002) of Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
. He also had two stepdaughters, Sharon Elizabeth Lentz Moran and Jan Susan Lentz, both of Baton Rouge, and two stepsons, Paul Stephen Lentz (born ca. 1959) of Walker
Walker, Louisiana
Walker is a town in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,801 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in Livingston Parish, and David Merrill Lentz (born ca. 1962) of Denham Springs
Denham Springs, Louisiana
Denham Springs is a city in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, United States, and part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. Downtown Denham Springs has transformed itself from hardware stores, drug stores, doctor's offices, and a single movie theater to a collection of various and varied...
, also in Livingston Parish. He had four grandchildren and five step-grandchildren. A mass of Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
burial was celebrated on March 31, 2008, at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church. Interment followed in Resthaven Gardens of Memory on the Old Jefferson Highway in Baton Rouge.
Desmond's passing came four months after the death of another Louisiana architect, Hugh G. Parker, Jr., of Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
and Bastrop
Bastrop, Louisiana
Bastrop is a city in and the parish seat of Morehouse Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 12,988 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of and is included in the Bastrop, Louisiana Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Monroe-Bastrop, Louisiana Combined...
. Having overcome childhood polio, Parker (1934–2007), in a 45-year career, designed such structures as the 16-story Wyly Tower at Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
in Ruston
Ruston, Louisiana
Ruston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
, the Monroe/West Monroe
West Monroe, Louisiana
West Monroe is a city in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 13,250 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area....
Convention and Visitors Bureau, the football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
stadiums of the University of Louisiana at Monroe
University of Louisiana at Monroe
The University of Louisiana at Monroe is a coeducational public university in Monroe, Louisiana and part of the University of Louisiana System.-History:...
, Bastrop City Hall, and numerous churches and school buildings.