American Institute of Architects Houston (AIA Houston) oral history interview collection

The individuals interviewed on these tapes all had some connection to William Ward Watkin (1886- 1952), the architect of the initial buildings on the Rice University campus and the founder of the architecture department at Rice. Nolan Barrick , a student of William Ward Watkin, worked with Watkin on the renovation of Christ Church Cathedral in Houston and also married one of Watkin’s two daughters. Ray Watkin Hoagland (1915-2011) was one of Watkin’s two daughters. Karl F. Kamrath (1911-1988) designed many noteworthy buildings and houses in Houston. He and his partner, F. J. Mackie, Jr., were among the first Houston architects to design modernist buildings. Hermon Lloyd (1909-1989) earned a B.S. in Architecture at Rice in 1931 and became one of the architects of the Rice Stadium. Milton McGinty (b. 8-11-1905) earned a B.A. in 1927 and a B.S. in Architecture in 1928 at Rice. From 1930 to 1934 he worked with John F. Staub and later became a partner with Stayton Nunn. McGinty was one of the architects of the Rice Stadium. Stayton Nunn graduated from Rice Institute in 1921. In 1928 he became an assistant professor of architecture at Rice and taught until 1945. He also worked for William Ward Watkin at his architectural firm, helping him design some of his best buildings. Harry Payne (b. St. Louis, Mo., 5-20-1891) became a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1963. John F. Staub (1892-1981) was the pre-eminent designer of houses in Houston and in Texas during his lifetime. Eugene Werlin earned a B.A. in architecture at Rice in 1927 and subsequently had an architectural firm in Houston.