AIA College of Fellows Inducts 2008 Class

Summary: Acknowledging the outstanding contributions of 116 AIA members as Fellows of the Institute and 13 distinguished architects from other countries as Honorary Fellows, the AIA College of Fellows gathered May 16 at the Old South Church in Boston to welcome the new inductees into their ranks. “It has been said that only in giving are we most truly fulfilled,” said AIA President Marshall E. Purnell, FAIA, in his opening remarks. “The College of Fellows exemplifies the highest and most revered aspirations of the profession, particularly the tradition of giving back freely and abundantly to this great calling that has given so much to each of us. This is a tradition rooted in giving back to the society we seek to serve.”

“Fellowship is not easily earned nor lightly given,” said College of Fellows Chancellor Carole J. Olshavsky, FAIA. “It is a rare honor to be accepted with humility and commitment—commitment to continue your good work and dedication to your inherited legacy of excellence. Ralph Walker, FAIA, the first Chancellor of the College of Fellows, stated that elevation to Fellowship is an accolade, to be sure, but also a personal charge that your responsibilities and opportunities have just begun and shall continue.

“You who are about to be honored this day have been selected by a jury of your peers. That honor is enhanced by the presence of your family, friends, and colleagues who are here to congratulate and applaud your outstanding achievements in this profession of Architecture.”

The historic Old South Church dates from 1875 and was designed by Boston architects Cummings and Sears in what is described as the “Ruskinian Italian Gothic” style, Olshavsky noted. The congregation dates back even further, to 1669. Benjamin Franklin was baptized at the congregation’s Cedar Meeting House in 1706. Samuel Adams, Revolutionary patriot and brewer, gave the signal to start the Boston Tea Party from the Old South Meeting House, and Samuel Sewall, judge and diarist, wrote the first treatise in this country in opposition to slavery. Olshavsky was pleased to relate that both Adams and Sewall are ancestors of hers.

As Fellows Jury Chair Carole Shen, FAIA, called their names one by one, the new Fellows were escorted to and from their individual medal presentations by former presidents and College of Fellows chancellors.

“This achievement should not be viewed as an end, but rather just the beginning of the contributions you will continue to make to the College of Fellows, to your practice, to your profession, and to your community,” Olshavsky told the new Fellows in conclusion. “Fellowship is a benchmark of achievement, a case study of best practice, a role model for future generations of young professionals. Each of you being honored here today represents the very best of our profession.

“It is inherent in the work of the architect that success is shared with the greater society. As leaders of the profession, you are each uniquely charged to insure that design excellence and environmental sensibility are passed on to succeeding generations. As you go forward today as exemplary role models and as mentors within our profession, you represent what it means to take responsibility for excellence and distinction in the architectural profession; to create as well as to preserve that which is meaningful to our culture.”