Résumé

Wiliam Adams Delano had a patrician family background and elite education, enabling him to be an insider amongst New York's financial and business community. His connections did not end in New York's boundaries, however, and his firm Delano and Aldrich had design responsibility for a host of educational, social and cultural facilities across the Eastern Seaboard and abroad. He led the firm creatively from its formation in 1903 until his retirement in 1950. Delano adhered to Beaux-Arts precepts of propriety when designing although he did shift with the times gradually. In general, Delano had a very restrained approach, with ornametal details often very clearly and delicately delineated. His influence on the San Francisco architect William W. Wurster (1895-1973) was profound in this emphasis on delicacy of proportion and formal elegance.

Draftsman, Carrère and Hastings, Architects, New York, NY, c. 1903.

Partner, Delano and Aldrich, Architects, New York, NY, 1903-1949. Delano retired from Delano and Aldrich as of 01/01/1950. In 09/1918, the Delano and Aldrich office was located at 126 East 38th Street in New York, NY. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Registration State: New York; Registration County: New York Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005, accessed 09/12/2023.)

Teaching

Professor of Architecture, Columbia University, New York, NY, 1903-1910.

Professional Activities

Member, American Institute of Architects (AIA), New York Chapter.

President, AIA, New York Chapter, New York, NY, 1928-1930.

Member, Architectural League of New York, New York, NY.

Member, US Commission of Fine Arts, Washington, DC, 1924-1928.

Vice-chairman, US Commission of Fine Arts, Washington, DC, 1928.

President, Society of Beaux-Arts Architects, New York, NY, 1927-1929.

Member, US Government, Treasury Department, Board of Architectural Consultants, Washington, DC, 1927-1933.

Member, New York World's Fair, Board of Design, New York, NY, 1939.

Member, National Park and Planning Commission, Washington, DC, 1929-1946.

Professional Awards

Corresponding member, L'Institut de France, Academie des Beaux-Arts, Paris, France, 1930.

Officer, French Legion d'Honneur, Paris, France, 1930.

Fellow, American Institute of Architects (FAIA).

Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York, NY.

Elected to the National Academy of Design, New York, NY.

Recipient, National Institute of Arts and Letters, Gold Medal, New York, NY, 1940.

Recipient, AIA, Gold Medal, 1953.

Archives

Papers and drawings of the firm Delano and Aldrich, "Delano & Aldrich architectural records and papers, 1900-1949," are held at Columbia University's Avery Drawings and Archives Collections, New York, NY.

Yale University's Archives also maintains the "William Adams Delano Papers," MS#178. The scope and contents note for this collection stated: "The William Adams Delano Collection contains social and professional correspondence, various papers, and assorted printed material relating to the personal life and architectural career of William Adams Delano (1874-1960). The collection spans the period 1902-1960, with the majority of the material falling between the years 1939-1959." (See Yale University Archives.edu, "William Adams Delano Papers," accessed 09/13/2023.)

High School / College

Graduate, The Lawrenceville School, Lawrence Township, NJ, 1887-1891.

A.B., Yale University, New Haven, CT, 1891-1895. While at Yale, Delano was a member of the editorial board of the The Yale Record, a humor magazine. Delano was also a member of Scroll and Key, supposedly the wealthiest of the "Big Three" secret societies at Yale. It was formed in 1841, while the oldest Skull and Bones was established in 1832 and The Third Society (later renamed Wolf's Head) was founded in 1884.

Special Student in Architecture, Columbia University, New York, NY, c. 1898-1900.

Dipl., École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris, France, 1900-1902.

B.F.A., Yale University, New Haven, CT, 1908.

College Awards

Recipient, Institut de France, Jean Leclaire Prize, Paris, France, 1901. As noted by the Yale University Archives, the Jean Leclaire Prize was "...an honor bestowed by the Institut de France upon the member of the [École des Beaux-Arts] First Class who receives the greatest number of values." Delano was the first American to receive the award. (See Yale University Archives.edu, "William Adams Delano Papers," accessed 09/12/2023.)

Honorary M.A., Yale University, New Haven, CT, 1939.

Relocation

William Adams Delano was born in New York, NY, into well-to-do Anglo-American family that had deep connections in New York City's most elite commercial, religious, educational and political circles. Except for four years spent at The Lawrenceville School, four years at Yale University and three years spent as a student in Paris, Delano lived his whole life in New York City. His professional life was very stable through the Depression, and he did not need to move around frequently like many architects who had to scrape to make a living.

Delano's wealth enabled him to travel, mostly to England and France, very frequently. He planned excursions either annually or bienially during the 1910s-1930s.

During the 1900-1903 period that Delano studied in Paris, he made at least one trip back to the US. A US passport application made at the US Embassy in Rome on 03/07/1903 indicated that he last left the US on 09/20/1902. In Rome at this time, he wanted the passport to "travel in Greece and Turkey." (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Emergency Passport Applications (Issued Abroad), 1877-1907; Roll #: 49; Volume #: Volume 095: Italy, accessed 09/13/2023.)

In addition to an urban residence in New York City, Delano also designed a 6,100-square-foot country house on Long Island at 2 Chestnut Court in Muttontown, Oyster Bay, NY. This 8-bedroom, 5.5-bath house dated from 1914 and occupied two acres of land in 2019. The 1925 NY State Census located the Delanos at their Muttontown Lane house. At this time, the census listed three servants working in the Delano House: Nellie Sheehy (born c. 1867 in Ireland); waitress Bridget Rogers (born c. 1883 in Ireland); and cook Mary Powers (born c. 1868 in Ireland). Neighbors of this Oyster Bay estate were not adjacent, but close by pillars of New York society had acreage, including the lawyer Bronson Winthrop (1863-1944) and the ill-fated banker Joseph Wright Harriman (1867-1949). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1925; Election District: 06; Assembly District: 02; City: Oyster Bay; County: Nassau; Page: 19, accessed 09/13/2023.)

In the aftermath of World War I, Delano was in France and England between 11/1918 and 03/1919, as noted on a US passport application of 05/22/1920. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925; Roll #: 1228; Volume #: Roll 1228 - Certificates: 42000-42375, 24 May 1920-25 May 1920, accessed 09/13/2023.)

His residence on 09/12/1918 was in a brownstone at 131 East 36th Street in the Murray Hill neighborhood of New York. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Registration State: New York; Registration County: New York Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005, accessed 09/12/2023.)

Delano continued to reside at 131 East 36th Street in 1935. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at and Departing from Ogdensburg, New York, 5/27/1948 - 11/28/1972; Microfilm Serial or NAID: T715, 1897-1957, accessed 09/13/2023.)

At some point between 1935 and 1937, Delano moved to an new New York City address at 126 East 38th Street. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at and Departing from Ogdensburg, New York, 5/27/1948 - 11/28/1972; Microfilm Serial or NAID: T715, 1897-1957, accessed 09/13/2023.

Parents

His father was Eugene Delano (born 08/30/1844 in Utica, NY-d. 04/02/1920 in Manhattan, NY), a partner in the New York office of Brown Brothers and Company, an important banking house with operations in Philadelphia, PA, Baltimore, MD, Boston, MA, and New York. Initially headquartered in Philadelphia, Brown Brothers eventually moved its hub of operations to New York City. It operated indepedently from 1818 until its 1931 merger with Harriman Brothers and Company during the depths of the Depression. It has continued operations as "Brown Brothers Harriman & Company." An original partner of this 1931 merged banking house was his younger brother Moreau Delano, who had his portrait painted by John Singer Sargent.

Eugene's father was Moreau Delano (born 06/18/1904 in Stockbridge, VT-d. 08/12/1870 in Saratoga, NY), who became a significant engineer who assisted in the construction of portions of the Erie Canal (1817-1825) and New York City's Croton Aqueduct (1837-1842),

Eugene wed Susan Magoun Adams (born 02/1848 in NY-d. 08/15/1904 in Orange, NJ), on 02/08/1872. Susan's father was the highly educated and influential Congregational cleric, Reverend William Adams (born 01/25/1907 in Colchester, CT-d. 08/31/1880 in Orange Mountain, NJ), pastor of the Central Presbyterian Church in New York, NY, from 1834 until 1873. Susan Magoun Adams was one of four children had by William Adams and his second wife, Martha Bradshaw Magoun (1812-1885). (His first wife was her sister, Susan Patten Magoun [1806-1834].) Wiliam Adams Delano was named for his maternal grandfather.

Susan and Eugene had the following offspring: William Adams Delano, Martha Magoun Delano (born 07/24/1875-d. 08/17/1876), Moreau Delano (born 06/14/1877 in Orange, NJ-d. 12/04/1936 in Boston, MA), Caroline Delano Wadsworth (born 05/06/1879-d. 1951 in VT), Susan Magoun Delano McKelvey (born 03/13/1883-d. 07/11/1964 in Boston, MA) and Eugene Delano (born 02/26/1887 in Philadelphia, PA-d. 01/30/1913 in Winnipeg, MB, Canada). Susan Delano McKelvey became a renowned botanist, working for many years at Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum. Eugene Delano, William Adams Delano's brother killed himself in a Winnipeg, MB, hotel room. Eugene's suicide in 1913 was likely one of the great personal shocks of his lifetime.

Spouse

He wed Louisa Millicent Sheffield Potter (born 02/07/1872 in Newport, RI-d. 09/17/1962 in Syosset, NY)on 05/23/1907. Louisa's father was the architect Edward Tuckerman Potter (born 09/25/1831-d. 12/21/1904 in New York, NY), designer of the Mark Twain House in Hartford, CT (1871) and Nott Hall at Union College, Schenectady, NY (1879). He also focused on ecclesiastical architecture. Her mother was Julia Maria Blatchford Potter (born 10/04/1834 in New York, NY-d. 06/24/1922 in Westhampton, NY), who had seven children, Louisa, being the second youngest.

In 1900, Julia and her younger sister Dorothy still resided with their parents at 25 Catherine Street in Newport. At this time, the Potters retained seven household servants. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Newport Ward 3, Newport, Rhode Island; Roll: 1505; Page: 1; Enumeration District: 0220, accessed 09/13/2023.)

Children

He and Louisa had a son William Richard Potter Delano (born 07/31/1909 in New York, NY-d. 07/19/2000 in NY). William R.P. Delano wed Dorothea Frances Lehmann on 10/12/1939 in Commack, NY. Later in life he had a residence at 25 Old Field Road, East Setauket, NY.

Biographical Notes

According to his US passport application of 03/07/1903, Delano stood 5-feet, 9-and-1/2-inches tall, and possessed a high forehead, medium mouth, pointed chin, and long face. This document indicated that his eyes were gray and hair brown. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Emergency Passport Applications (Issued Abroad), 1877-1907; Roll #: 49; Volume #: Volume 095: Italy, accessed 09/13/2023.)

Delano, his wife and son traveled aboard the Norddeutscher Lloyd liner, S.S. George Washington, sailing from Cherbourg, France to New York, NY, between 05/04/1913 and 05/12/1913. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at and Departing from Ogdensburg, New York, 5/27/1948 - 11/28/1972; Microfilm Serial or NAID: T715, 1897-1957, accessed 09/13/2023.)

His World War I draft registration card listed Delano as being Caucasian, with brown hair and eyes. (His 1903 US passport description indicated that his eyes were gray.) He was described as tall with a medium build. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Registration State: New York; Registration County: New York Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005, accessed 09/12/2023.)

According to a US passport application of 05/22/1920, the Delano Family was to travel to England and France during 07/1920 for "study" purposes. They were to travel on the Belgian Red Star Liner, S.S. Lapland, leaving on 07/17/1920. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925; Roll #: 1228; Volume #: Roll 1228 - Certificates: 42000-42375, 24 May 1920-25 May 1920, accessed 09/13/2023.)

William Adams Delano, his wife and son traveled aboard the S.S. Lapland, that made the trip between Southampton, England, and New York, NY, between 09/09/1921 and 09/13/1921. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at and Departing from Ogdensburg, New York, 5/27/1948 - 11/28/1972; Microfilm Serial or NAID: T715, 1897-1957, accessed 09/13/2023.) According to a US passport application of 06/15/1922, this 1921 trip focused on England and France and occurred between 07/10/1921 to 09/1921.

The following year, 1922, the Delanos planned another trip to the British Isles, France, Italy and Switzerland for a vacation beginning on 07/11/1922. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925; Roll #: 2034; Volume #: Roll 2034 - Certificates: 194100-194475, 19 Jun 1922-20 Jun 1922, accessed 09/13/2023.)

Delano departed on the White Star liner S.S. Homeric from Southampton, England, to New York, NY, on 08/05/1925. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; BT27 Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and Successors: Outwards Passenger Lists; Reference Number: Series BT27-146513, accessed 09/13/2023.)

Delano returned from a European trip aboard the Norddeutscher Lloyd liner, S.S. Bremen, sailing from Southampton, England, to New York, NY, between 08/07/1935 and 08/12/1935. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at and Departing from Ogdensburg, New York, 5/27/1948 - 11/28/1972; Microfilm Serial or NAID: T715, 1897-1957, accessed 09/13/2023.)

He traveled again on the S.S. Bremen between Southampton and New York during the period 08/29/1937 and 09/03/1937. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at and Departing from Ogdensburg, New York, 5/27/1948 - 11/28/1972; Microfilm Serial or NAID: T715, 1897-1957, accessed 09/13/2023.

He and Louisa may have traveled from Southampton to New York aboard the Cunard liner, Queen Mary, between 08/12/1939 and 08/21/1939, although their names were crossed off the passenger manifest. While they may not have been on this ship, they may have gone to Europe again in 1939. (See Ancestry.com, Detail Source Source Citation The National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at and Departing from Ogdensburg, New York, 5/27/1948 - 11/28/1972; Microfilm Serial or NAID: T715, 1897-1957, accessed 09/13/2023.)

Trustee, New York Orthapaedic Dispensary and Hospital, Board of Trustees, New York, NY, 1905.

Trustee, New York Public Library, New York, NY.

Member, Century Association, New York, NY.

Member, Coffee House, New York, NY.

Member, India House, New York, NY.

Member, The Brook, New York, NY. Delano and Aldrich designed The Brook clubhouse in 1925.

Member, Yale Club of New York, New York, NY.

Member, Knickerbocker Club, New York, NY. Delano and Aldrich also designed the Knickerbocker Club, completed in 1915.

Member, Piping Rock Club, Locust Valley, NY.

Member, Metropolitan Club, Washington, DC.

Member, Graduates Club, New Haven, CT.

Vice-president, Grenfell Association of America (GAA), New York, NY. The GAA was a philanthropic group that gathered funds to pay for social amd medical services to rural dwellers of Labrador and northern Newfoundland. The Grenfell Mission was incorporated in 1914 as the International Grenfell Association, one subsidiary (of five) of which was the Grenfell Association of America.

Vice-president, New York Horticultural Society, New York, NY.

Delano had an operation on his neck in 1933.