Résumé

Draftsman, Naramore and Brady, Architects, Seattle, WA, c. 1940.

Military service, US Army Corps of Engineers, Caribbean, 1941-1943.

Military service, US, Marine Corps, 1944-1946.

Draftsman, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), New York, NY, c. 1946-1947. Brooks worked under SOM New York's lead designer, Gordon Bunshaft (1909-1990).

Draftsman, George M. Rasque, Architect, Spokane, WA, c. 1948.

Draftsman, Carroll Martell, Architects, Spokane, WA, c. 1948.

Principal, Kenneth W. Brooks, Architect, Spokane, WA, 1949-1969. In 1960, Brooks maintained his office at 707 5th Avenue in Spokane. (See Spokane, Washington, City Directory, 1960, p. 129.) The firm was located at South 121 Wall Street in Spokane, In 1969. (See "Spokane Architect Forms Partnership," Spokane Chronicle, 10/03/1969, p. 5.)

Partner, Brooks, Hensley and Creager, Architects, Spokane, WA, 1970-1992. In 1969, the firm was called "Kenneth W. Brooks and Partners. (See "Spokane Architect Forms Partnership," Spokane Chronicle, 10/03/1969, p. 5.) This had become changed to "Brooks, Hensley and Creager, Architects," by at least 01/1973. Brooks, Hensley and Creager was legally incorporated on 09/30/1977. Joseph M. Hensley was added as an agent of the firm on that date.

Kenneth W. Brooks retired from Brooks, Hensley and Creager in 1991. (See Spokane City-County Historic Preservation Office.org, "Kenneth W. Brooks [1917-1996]," accessed 07/20/2023.)

Professional Activities

Member, American Institute of Architects (AIA), Spokane Chapter, 1949- . (SeeAmerican Architects Directory, 1970, John F. Gane, ed., [New York: R.R. Bowker Company, 1970], p. 607.)

Brooks receivedNational Council of Architectural Board (NCARB) certification in 1946.

Registered Architect in the State of NY, 1947.

President, Muncipal League of Spokane, Incorporated, Spokane, WA.

Vice-chairman, WA State Arts Commission, Olympia, WA, c. 1968.

Judge, Pacific Northwest Bell's planning contest for high school students, Spokane, WA, c. 1968. (See "Spokane Man WIll Be Judge," Spokane Chronicle, 02/22.1968, p. 5.)

Professional Awards

Fellow, American Institute of Architects (FAIA), 1967.

Archives

Brooks's records have been archived as the "Kenneth W. Brooks Papers, 1936-1992," at Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC) Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections. The materials dated roughly between 1959 and 1974, and included about 9 linear feet of shelf space, 2 boxes, 13 rolls of drawings and some oversized materials.

College

B.S., Architectural Engineering., University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL, 1941.

M.A., Architecture, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL, 1948.

College Awards

Recipient, University of Illinois, Francis J. Plym Fellowship, Champaign-Urbana, IL, 1948-1949. Brooks spent this fellowship studying in Stockholm, Sweden. According to the Washington State University Libraires, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections: "In 1948 Brooks traveled to Europe on a University of Illinois Francis Plym Fellowship, spending most of his seven-month trip in Sweden working with Sven Markelius, a Swedish city planner and architect." (See Washington State University Libraires, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections.edu. "Kenneth W. Brooks Papers, 1936-1992," accessed 06/19/2023.)

Relocation

Kenneth William Brooks was born to Delbert and Della Brooks in Cedarvale, KS, on 06/09/1917. In 1920, three-year-old Kenneth lived with his parents and elder brother Russell in Caney, KS. They resided at 404 South Spring Street.

The architect moved to Spokane, WA, in 1948, following his service in the military.

He passed away on 08/08/1996, and was buried at the Fairmount Memorial Park, Spokane, WA.

Parents

His father Delbert Brooks (born 09/22/1887 in Peru, KS- d. )

His older brother was Russell Brooks (born c. 1912 in OK).

Spouse

He wed Edna Maude Herrington (born 05/31/1921 in Morse, SK, Canada-d. 05/11/2017 in Spokane, WA). Her parents Grover Cleveland Herrington and Linna Margaret Robison had three children, of whom Edna or "Eddie" was the youngest. Grover died when Eddie was an infant, assisting others from a burning building.

• Cedar Vale, KS (Architect's Birth)
  Cedar Vale, KS 67024

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