John Galen Howard

George H. Hastings · http: brand=calisphere · Public domain
- Born
- 8 May 1864
- Birthplace
- Chelmsford, Massachusetts, US
- Died
- 18 July 1931
- Place of death
- San Francisco, California, US
- Education
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Awards
- Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (1901)
- Nationality
- United States.
- Occupation
- architect, entrepreneur and executive.
- Fields
- architecture, architectural project, public building and school building.
- Known for
- California Memorial Stadium.
- Honours
- Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
- Languages
- English and French.
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wikidata · Q6234722 · wikipedia · John Galen Howard
In this article
Biography
Biography
John Galen Howard studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The recorded working language is English and French. The field of work recorded is architecture, architectural project and public building. Places of work recorded in the authority are San Francisco, New York City and Paris. Works named in the authority record are California Memorial Stadium. Distinctions recorded are Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
Key facts
Key facts
• Born — 8 May 1864 • Birthplace — Chelmsford, Massachusetts, US • Died — 18 July 1931 • Place of death — San Francisco, California, US • Education — Massachusetts Institute of Technology • Practice — Howard & Cauldwell (1893-99); Howard, Cauldwell & Morgan (1899-1901); John Galen Howard (1902-06 and 1908-23); Howard & Galloway (1906-08); John Galen Howard & Associates (1923-27) • Significant Projects — University of California, Berkeley, School of Architecture • Awards — Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (1901) • Children — 6, including Robert Boardman Howard, John Langley Howard • Illustration — Wheeler Hall at the University of California, Berkeley, designed by Howard and completed in 1917. In the background is Sather Tower, completed by Howard in 1915. John Galen Howard (May 8, 1864 – July 18, 1931) was an American architect and educator who began his career in New York before moving to California. He was the principal architect at several firms in both states and employed Julia Morgan early in her architectural career.
Early life and education
Early life and education
John Galen Howard was born May 8, 1864, in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Howard was son of physician, Levi Howard and Lydia Jane Hapgood, a homemaker and he had four brothers. Howard was educated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1882 to 1885) and the École des Beaux-Arts (1891 to 1893).
Career
Career
He worked for H. H. Richardson in Brookline, for his successors Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge in Boston and for McKim, Mead & White in New York City. Howard began professional practice in 1893, when he formed the firm of Howard & Cauldwell with engineer Samuel M. Cauldwell. In 1899, they were joined by Lewis Henry Morgan, and the firm became known as Howard, Cauldwell & Morgan. Works in the east included the Electric Tower, the centerpiece of the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. They also submitted an unsuccessful entry in the competition to design the Master Plan for the University of California, Berkeley. Despite not winning the commission outright, in 1901 Howard dissolved his partnership when he was chosen by the Regents of the university to execute the accepted plan, known as the Hearst Plan. In 1902, he reestablished his practice at Berkeley, and in 1903 formally established the School of Architecture, now part of the College of Environmental Design. As supervising architect of the University of California, Howard built extensively. His most famous buildings are the Campanile, California Memorial Stadium, Sather Gate and the Hearst Greek Theatre. In 1904, Howard relocated his office to San Francisco, and after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake formed the firm of Howard & Galloway with engineer John D. Galloway. This partnership was dissolved in 1908. After fifteen more years of private practice he formed the firm of John Galen Howard & Associates, with associates Henry Temple Howard, E. Geoffrey Bangs, Henry C. Collins and Charles F. B. Roeth. Howard's projects during these years include several buildings at the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition in Seattle, three of which were designed to be reused by the University of Washington, and the San Francisco Civic Auditorium. Howard's influence at the university began to wane after the retirement of president Benjamin Ide Wheeler in 1919, and he was seen as uncooperative by the Board of Regents. In 1922, the commission for the new Hearst Memorial Gymnasium was awarded to Julia Morgan and Bernard Maybeck without his input, and in 1924 his contract as supervising architect was not renewed. In 1927, he resigned as director of the School of Architecture and retired from his architecture practice, though he continued to teach at the university until his death in 1931.
Personal life
Personal life
He married Mary Robertson Bradbury on August 1, 1893. They had five children; Henry Temple Howard (1894–1967) was an architect who worked with his father; Robert Boardman Howard (1896–1983), became a sculptor and married another noted Bay Area sculptor, Adaline Kent (1900–1957); other children included Charles Houghton Howard (1899–1978), John Langley Howard (1902–1999) both were known artists of the time, and Jeanette Howard Wallace (1905–1998).
Buildings for the University of California, Berkeley
Buildings for the University of California, Berkeley
• Hearst Memorial Mining Building, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1902–07, NRHP 1982) • Hearst Greek Theatre, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1903, NRHP 1982) • Senior Hall, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1903–06, NRHP 1982) • Doe Memorial Library, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1904–11, NRHP 1982) • California Hall, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1905, NRHP 1982) • North Gate Hall, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1906, NRHP 1982) • Sather Gate, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1910, NRHP 1982) • Durant Hall, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1911, NRHP 1982) • Wellman Hall, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1912, NRHP 1982) • Drawing Building, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1914, NRHP 1976) • Sather Tower, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1914–15, NRHP 1982) • Gilman Hall, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1916–17) • Hilgard Hall, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1917, NRHP 1982) • Wheeler Hall, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1917, NRHP 1982) • Dwinelle Hall Annex, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1920) • California Memorial Stadium, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1922–23, NRHP 2006, rebuilt 2010–12) • Haviland Hall, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1924, NRHP 1982) • LeConte Hall, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1924, NRHP 1982)
Buildings elsewhere
Buildings elsewhere
• Hotel Renaissance annex, Fifth Ave and W 43rd St, New York City (1896, demolished) • Barringer High School (former), 90 Parker St, Newark, New Jersey (1898–99, demolished) • Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont St, Boston, Massachusetts (1901–03) • Electric Tower, Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, New York (1901, temporary structure) • Carnegie Library (former), 73 Church St, Montclair, New Jersey (1902–04, NRHP 1988) • Cloyne Court Hotel, 2600 Ridge Rd, Berkeley, California (1904, NRHP 1982) • Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St, Berkeley, California (1905, demolished 1929) • House for Adolph C. Miller, 2420 Ridge Rd, Berkeley, California (1907) • Auditorium (later Meany Hall), University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (1907–09, demolished 1965) • Chemistry Hall (now Architecture Hall), University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (1907–09) • Engineering Hall, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (1907–09, demolished) • Italian American Bank Building, 460 Montgomery St, San Francisco, California (1907, modified) • Empire Building, 37 Old Courthouse Sq, Santa Rosa, California (1908–10) • Adam Grant Building, 114 Sansome St, San Francisco, California (1908) • United States Government Building and exhibition halls, Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition, Seattle, Washington (1908–09, temporary structures) • John Galen Howard House (also known as the Gregory/Howard House), 1401 Le Roy Ave along Rose Walk, Berkeley, California (1912); a Berkeley Landmark; • Pierce-Arrow Building, 1001 Polk St, San Francisco, California (1912-13) • San Francisco Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove St, San Francisco, California (1913–15) • Berkeley National Bank Building, Center St and Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, California (1914, demolished) • First Congregational Church, 2501 Harris St, Berkeley, California (1923–25)
Identity
Identity
John Galen Howard is recorded with the occupation entrepreneur. Established in Library of Congress under n84213016. Recorded as architect, entrepreneur and executive. Established in FAST under 147466.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
Explore 1864–1931
The full dated record · 3 entries
1864
John Galen Howard was born on 8 May 1864.
1931
Dies at San Francisco.
1931
John Galen Howard died at San Francisco.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Chelmsford.
Birth place
San Francisco.
Death place
Legacy
Howard's primary legacy is as the founder of the formal School of Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, and as a designer of buildings on the university campus. He is also noted as the first American employer of Julia Morgan from 1902 to 1904, though she did not look on her experience with him fondly. Howard completed many notable projects and was elected a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects in 1901. In 1910, he was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Associate Academician. Many of Howard's works are listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
Primary material
Documents and archives
scholarly publication
- John Galen Howard, Journal of Architectural Education, 1979
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 1979
institutional register
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q6234722: John Galen Howard
General reference · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “John Galen Howard”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
scholarly publication
John Galen Howard, Journal of Architectural Education, 1979Crossref registry
Institutional witnessinstitutional register
Wikidata, structured authority record Q6234722: John Galen HowardWikimedia Foundation
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
John Galen Howard worked in architecture, architectural project, public building, school building and university. He belonged to American Academy of Arts and Letters. He worked at San Francisco, New York City, Paris and Cambridge.
Career and activity
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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