Nathan Clifford Ricker, D.Arch

Doctor of Architecture

The Doctor of Architecture or Architectural Doctorate degree is a doctoral degree in the field of Architecture. It can be completed after either a Bachelor of Architecture , Master of Architecture degree or, in some cases, another degree. The degree is not required for state licensure, which...

 (June 24, 1843 – March 19, 1924) was a professor and 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...

 known for his work at the University of Illinois

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...

. He was born on a farm near Acton, Maine

Acton, Maine

Acton is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,145 at the 2000 census. It includes the villages of Acton, Miller Corner and South Acton. The town is home to the Acton Fairground, which holds the Acton Fair every late summer...

 June 24, 1843. In 1875, he was married to Mary Carter Steele of Galesburg, Illinois

Galesburg, Illinois

Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County....

. His only child, Ethel, was born in 1883. He died March 19, 1924.

Educator

He served the University of Illinois for 45 years, from 1872 - 1917. He chaired the Department of Architecture

University of Illinois School of Architecture

The University of Illinois School of Architecture is an academic unit with in the College of Fine & Applied Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign....

 from 1873 - 1910, creating the department and its curriculum. From 1878 - 1905, he served as dean of the College of Engineering

UIUC College of Engineering

The College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign was first established in 1868, and is considered one of the original units of the school. The presence of a steam engine on the University's seal is a good clue as to the importance of the engineering program to the...

. He also served as University architect, designing four major buildings at UIUC. The publication of his book, Elementary Graphical Statics and Construction of Trussed Roofs in 1885 was the first book published by a University of Illinois faculty member.

Architect

March 12, 1873, he received his graduation certificate, making him the first person to receive a Degree in Architecture in the United States. In 1914, Alpha Rho Chi

Alpha Rho Chi

Alpha Rho Chi is a professional co-educational college fraternity for students studying architecture and related professions. The fraternity's name is derived from the first three letters of the Greek word for architecture, αρχιτεκτονική.-Founding:...

 honored him with the title of "Master Architect." He is associated with the design of several sites listed on the National Historical Register

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 and located in Champaign County, Illinois

Champaign County, Illinois

Champaign County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 201,081, which is an increase of 11.9% from 179,669 in 2000.. It is the 10th most populous county in Illinois...

.

• Altgeld Hall
  Altgeld Hall
  Altgeld Hall, built in 1897 on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus, United States, is home to the Department of Mathematics and the Mathematics Library. Altgeld Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. A feature of Altgeld Hall is the University Chime...
  
   (originally Library Hall)
• Harker Hall (originally Chemical Laboratory)
• Metal Shop, now known as Aeronautical Lab "B"
• Kenney Gym
  Kenney Gym
  Kenney Gym is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Urbana, Illinois, on the campus of the University of Illinois and is named after Harold E. Kenney. The arena opened in 1890 and was originally known as the Men's Gym Annex....
  
  , listed as Military Drill Hall and Men's Gymnasium
• Natural History Building
• 612 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois
  Urbana, Illinois
  Urbana is the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,250. Urbana is the tenth-most populous city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area....
  
  . The home he designed and occupied from 1892 until his death in 1924.

Books written by Ricker

• The elements of construction in architecture (1881)
• Elementary Graphical Statics and Construction of Trussed Roofs (1885)
• Technical review of the Chicago public library (1898)
• An extension of the Dewey decimal system of classification applied to architecture and building. (1906)
• A study of roof trusses (1907)
• A treatise on design and construction of roofs (1912)
• Simplified formulas and tables for floors, joists and beams; roofs, rafters and purlins (1913)
• A study of base and bearing plates for columns and beams (1919)

External links

• Establishing Architecture at the University of Illinois
• Ricker Library of Architecture and Art - Founded by Ricker in 1873 and named for him in 1917.
• 612 W. Green St. - The Ricker House