Prolific school architect, C. William Brubaker, FAIA, dies

C. William "Bill" Brubaker, FAIA, died of Parkinson's disease May 25 in Evanston, Ill. He was 75.

In an appreciation in the Chicago Tribune, architecture critic Blair Kamin observes that Brubaker, a master sketcher, designed more than 200 schools, and that his "influence extended beyond those projects because he lectured and published widely, shaping the views of architects as they designed schools to accommodate the Baby Boom." Brubaker is the author of many articles and books, including Planning and Designing Schools (1997, McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing).

Despite all his work on school planning and design, Brubaker may be best known for his contributions to the First National Bank of Chicago, designed by Perkins & Will in collaboration with C.F. Murphy Associates and now known as 1 Bank One Plaza.

Brubaker received his BArch in 1950 from the University of Texas. He began at Perkins & Will as an intern and was mentored by the firm's founders, Larry Perkins and Phil Will. Specializing in school design, Brubaker rose to partner in 1958 and later served as the firm's president, senior vice president, and president and chairman in 1985 and 1986. He continued to serve as principal in charge of education projects from 1986 until he retired in 1998. Perkins and Will received the AIA Firm Award in 1999. Brubaker was invested into the College of Fellows in 1968 and served as its chancellor in 1988.

Click here to read an oral history with Bill Brubaker. (226 kb PDF)

William H. Tangye, ICC officer

William J. (Bill) Tangye, chief executive officer of the International Codes Council (ICC) and of the Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCCI) died of cancer June 1. He was 57.

Tangye was named the first ICC CEO in September 2001. He has been SBCCI's CEO since 1982. Prior to joining SBCCI, he served as BOCA's director of field engineering from 1970 to 1975. Among Tangye's many honors, President Reagan appointed him to the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board in 1985. Tangye earned his undergraduate degree in civil engineering from the California State Polytechnic University at Pomona and graduate degrees from the University of Southern California and California State University at Long Beach.

Copyright 2002 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved.