John O. Merrill
Encyclopedia
- This article is about the American architect and structural engineer. For other uses, see John MerrillJohn MerrillJohn Merrill, from London, England, is a marathon walker, a profession which he can be said to have created, and of which he remains a leading, if not the only, member...
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John Ogden Merrill Sr. (1896 – 13 June 1975) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
architect and structural engineer. He was chiefly responsible for the design and construction of the United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
campus and for the development of Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Oak Ridge is a city in Anderson and Roane counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Tennessee, about west of Knoxville. Oak Ridge's population was 27,387 at the 2000 census...
where the atomic bomb was developed. He was a founding partner of the international architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP is an American architectural and engineering firm that was formed in Chicago in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings; in 1939 they were joined by John O. Merrill. They opened their first branch in New York City, New York in 1937. SOM is one of the largest...
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Early life
Merrill was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He studied at the University of Wisconsin from 1915 through 1917. His education was interrupted by his war time service in the military. During World War I, he served as a captain in the coastal artillery. When released from the military in 1919, he continued his education. The Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts 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...
awarded him a degree in architecture in 1921.
Career
The Chicago architectural firm of Granger and Bollenbacher gave Merrill his first opportunity to practice architecture, and by 1939, Merrill had become the chief architect for the Midwest States for the Federal Housing Administration.Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Merril joined Skidmore, Owings and MerrillSkidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP is an American architectural and engineering firm that was formed in Chicago in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings; in 1939 they were joined by John O. Merrill. They opened their first branch in New York City, New York in 1937. SOM is one of the largest...
(SOM) in 1939. He is credited with establishing the multi-disciplinary nature of the firm, and the innovative character of SOM’s organization and culture was influenced at an early stage by Merrill and other architectural engineers who later became partners in the practice. SOM defined a new architectural approach of team work and total or comprehensive design.
The firm undertook the coordination of every aspect of a specific project – design, engineering, landscaping, urban planning and interiors. Major military projects with which Merrill was associated include:
- Oak RidgeOak RidgeOak Ridge or Oakridge is the name of many places:In the United Kingdom:* Oakridge, Gloucestershire, England* Oakridge, Hampshire, EnglandIn the United States of America:* Oak Ridge , a ridge in Santa Clara County...
– Merrill was in charge of developing the secret research campus at Oak Ridge, TennesseeOak Ridge, TennesseeOak Ridge is a city in Anderson and Roane counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Tennessee, about west of Knoxville. Oak Ridge's population was 27,387 at the 2000 census...
. He directed the creation of the secret town which evolved along with the Manhattan ProjectManhattan ProjectThe Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
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- Okinawa military facilities – Merrill served in the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1942 and 1946. He directed the development of the permanent US military facilities on Okinawa, including Kadena Air Force Base.
- United States Air Force AcademyUnited States Air Force AcademyThe United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
– Merrill moved between ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and the Colorado Springs field office to oversee the construction of the new Air Force campus Merrill was the working administrative partner on the job. He was also a project spokesman for the project. At one point, Merrill announced that planning proposals for the new campus had abandoned what was perceived as a "radical" chapel design; however, the accordian-like structure is today acknowledged as an iconic symbolCultural iconA cultural icon can be a symbol, logo, picture, name, face, person, building or other image that is readily recognized and generally represents an object or concept with great cultural significance to a wide cultural group...
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Merrill's death in Colorado Springs, Colorado was reported in the New York Times on June 13, 1975.
Community leadership
Merrill was a fellow of the American Institute of ArchitectsAmerican 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...
(AIA); In 1937, he was president of the Chicago Chapter of the AIA. In 1950, Merrill was appointed as a member of the Board of Consultants to the New York State Building Code Commission; and he directed revision of the Chicago Building Code in 1947–1949.
Among Merrill's interests outside his profession was his support for Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth International is an international network of environmental organizations in 76 countries.FOEI is assisted by a small secretariat which provides support for the network and its agreed major campaigns...
. In 1969, he lent his name to a campaign to encourage men and women to pledge that they would not buy
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
fur
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
coats or any other articles made from skins of wild animals.
Select works
Merrill's published writings are few.- 1921: 'Design and Comparative Costs of Various Concrete Floor Systems (with R.A. Eckles). Thesis (B.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Architectural Engineering. OCLC 37815235
- 1962:Archiektur von Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, 1950–1962 (with Louis Skidmore, Ernst Danz, Ernst van Haagen and Nathaniel Owings).Stuttgart: Hatje.OCLC 164879857