George Leslie Rapp

• Name — C. W. & George L. Rapp • Architects — C. Ward Rapp; George L. Rapp; Mason G. Rapp • Partners — C. Ward Rapp; George L. Rapp • City — Chicago, Illinois • Founded — 1906 • Dissolved — 1965 • Illustration — The Chicago Theatre, designed by the Rapps for Balaban & Katz and completed in 1921. • Illustration — The Uptown Theatre in Chicago, completed in 1925. • Illustration — Shea's Performing Arts Center, originally Shea's Buffalo, completed in 1926. • Illustration — The Paramount Building in Times Square, New York City, completed in 1927. • Illustration — The Old Dearborn Bank Building in Chicago, completed in 1928. • Illustration — The Paramount Theatre in Denver, completed in 1930.

Cornelius Ward Rapp was born December 26, 1860. In the 1880s he moved to Chicago, where he worked for architect Cyrus P. Thomas. In 1889, the two formed the partnership of Thomas & Rapp. This was dissolved in 1895, when both opened independent offices. Rapp's major projects over the next eleven years included Altgeld Hall (1895–96) and Wheeler Hall (1903–04) at what is now Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the Coles County Courthouse (1898–99) in Charleston. His father was superintendent of construction for both Carbondale buildings. Rapp was an independent practitioner until 1906, when he formed a partnership with his younger brother, George L. Rapp. George Leslie Rapp was born February 16, 1878. He was educated in the School of Architecture of the University of Illinois, graduating in 1899. He then followed his brother to Chicago, where he joined the office of architect Edmund R. Krause. Of the projects completed by Krause during Rapp's employment, the best known was the Majestic Theatre, now the CIBC Theatre. After seven years with Krause he joined his brother to form the firm of C. W. & George L. Rapp, commonly known as Rapp & Rapp. Following early success with the Five Flags Center in Dubuque, Iowa, the new firm quickly specialized in theatres. In 1917 they began working with the Balaban & Katz chain of movie theatres, a relationship leading to the construction of many early movie palaces. In 1926 Paramount Pictures bought a controlling interest in Balaban & Katz, after which the Rapp office gained a national practice. C. Ward Rapp died the same year, leaving his brother to head the firm. The firm diversified its practice away from theatres during the 1930s, and designed a variety of commercial and industrial projects. During this period Rapp was joined by Mason Gerardi Rapp, son of his elder brother William M. Rapp. After George L. Rapp's retirement in 1938, Mason G. Rapp succeeded to the practice. After the death of his uncle in 1941 he renamed the firm Rapp & Rapp, which had always been its common name. In 1965 Rapp retired, and the firm was dissolved. Mason G. Rapp died in 1978.

Some of the notable buildings that the firm designed include:

• Central Park Theatre • Chicago Theatre • Gateway Theatre, now Copernicus Center • Hotel Windermere • Jackson Shore Apartments • New Bismarck Hotel, today "Hotel Allegro" • Old Dearborn Bank Building, also known as 203 North Wabash Street • Oriental Theatre, now James M. Nederlander Theatre • Palace Theatre • Riviera Theatre • Tivoli Theatre • Uptown Theatre

• Denver, Colorado • Paramount Theatre • Aurora, Illinois • Paramount Theatre • Champaign, Illinois • Orpheum Theater • Galesburg, Illinois • Orpheum Theater • Joliet, Illinois • Rialto Square Theatre • Streator, Illinois • The Majestic Theatre • Davenport, Iowa • Capital Theater • Dubuque, Iowa • Five Flags Center • Sioux City, Iowa • Orpheum Theatre • Wichita, Kansas • Miller Theater (1922-1972) • Ashland, Kentucky • Paramount Arts Center • Detroit, Michigan • Leland Hotel • Michigan Theatre • Kansas City, Missouri • Mainstreet Theater • St. Louis, Missouri • Ambassador Theatre (demolished) • St. Louis Theater (now Powell Hall) • Jersey City, New Jersey • Loew's Jersey Theater • Buffalo, New York • Shea's Theatre • Middletown, New York • Paramount Theatre • New York City • 1501 Broadway, Times Square • Paramount Theatre, Brooklyn • Paramount Theatre, Times Square • Kings Theatre, Brooklyn (formerly Loew's Kings Theater) • Cincinnati, Ohio • Palace Theatre (demolished) • Cleveland, Ohio • Palace Theatre • Youngstown, Ohio • Warner Theatre (now DeYor Performing Arts Center) • Tulsa, Oklahoma • Akdar Theatre 1922-1964 • Portland, Oregon • Paramount Theatre (now Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall) • Erie, Pennsylvania • Warner Theatre • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Loew's Penn Theatre (now Heinz Hall) • West Chester, Pennsylvania • Warner Theatre • Providence, Rhode Island • Loew's State Theatre, now the Providence Performing Arts Center • Mitchell, South Dakota • Corn Palace • Chattanooga, Tennessee • Tivoli Theatre • Memphis, Tennessee • Orpheum Theatre • Charlottesville, Virginia • Paramount Theater • Seattle, Washington • Paramount Theatre • Baraboo, Wisconsin • Al. Ringling Theater • Madison, Wisconsin • Orpheum Theatre (Madison, Wisconsin) • Milwaukee, Wisconsin • Bradley Symphony Center, formerly the Warner Grand Theater • Modjeska Theater • Uptown Theatre (demolished) • Wisconsin Theater (demolished) • Kenosha, Wisconsin • Gateway Theatre, now the Rhode Center for the Arts • Racine, Wisconsin • RKO Main Street Theatre