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Male, US, born 1888-11-22, died 1962-03-04
Associated with the firms network
Ambrose, William Clement, AIA, and Spencer, Eldridge T., FAIA, Associated Architects; Ambrose, William Clement, Architect; Polk, Willis, and Company; Reid, John W., Jr., Architect; Spencer and Ambrose, Architects
Résumé
Private/Sargeant/2nd Lieutenant, US Army Expeditionary Forces, World War I.
Draftsman, Willis Polk and Company, San Francisco, CA, 1911-1913.
Chief Draftsman, John Reid, Jr., San Francisco, CA, 1915-1927.
Principal, William Clement Ambrose, Architect, San Francisco, CA, 1927-1943;
Partner, [Eldridge "Ted"] Spencer and Ambrose, Architects, 1943-c. 1962. In 1955, Wesley A. Talley and Alton B. Lee were Architects Associated with Spencer and Ambrose. Alton Lee would become one partner in the later firm, Spencer, Lee and Busse.
Teaching
Instructor, University of California Extension, 1944-1951. The American Architects' Directory, 1956, (p. 10) stated: "Lecturer, Carnegie, Summer 1946;" presumably this meant that Ambrose was a Lecturer at Carnegie Institute of Technology (CIT), (known as "Carnegie Mellon University" after 1967), Pittsburgh, PA, Summer 1946.
Professional Activities
Ambrose published articles in the Architectural Record1943 and Architect and Engineer in 1943-1944.
Author, US Navy Report on Cost-Plus-Fixed Fee Navy Contracts, 1945.
Member, California State Board of Architectural Examiners, 1944-1952.
When surveyed in 1955, Ambrose indicated that he was a Registered Architect in the State of CA.
Chairman, Building Industry Conference Board, San Francisco, CA, 1953.
College
B.S., University of California, Berkeley (UCB), Berkeley, CA, 1910. While at the UCB, Ambrose served for two years in military training.
Ambrose made a "grand tour" to England, France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Morocco, and Canada, 1913-1914 just after graduation.
Relocation
Ambrose's family lived in Tulare, CA, when he was born on 11/22/1888. His father William Creelman Ambrose worked as a civil engneer for the Southern Pacific Railroad Company in Southern CA. As noted in the 1900 US Census, William Clement Ambrose lived with his parents, two brothers and two sisters in the "Third Township" (Township of Kern), in Kern County, CA. Specifically, the census taker found the family living on the Southern Pacific Railroad Reservation in Kern. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Township 3, Kern, California; Roll: 87; Page: 13; Enumeration District: 0022, accessed 09/19/2023.)
From at least 1909-1917, his family resided at 2539 Hillegas Avenue, Berkeley, CA, while he worked in San Francisco, CA. (See Polk-Husted Company's Oakland, California, City Directory, 1909, p. 980, and Ancestry.com, Source Citation Registration State: California; Registration County: Alameda 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 09/19/2023.)
Ambrose and his wife lived at 2409 College Avenue, Berkeley, in 1924.
The 1940 US Census found Ambrose, his wife and two daughters living at 9 Brookside Avenue, in the Claremont neighborhood of Berkeley. As per the census, the house had an estimated value of $8,000, on par with others in the area. His World War II draft registration card also listed this as his address in 1942. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives At St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147, accessed 09/19/2023.)
He died in Alameda County, CA, on 03/04/1962.
Parents
His father was William Creelman Ambrose (born 05/01/1857 in Nova Scotia, Canada-d. 01/04/1909 in Berkeley, CA)) a civil engineer for the Southern Pacific Railroad Company. William Creelman Ambrose was likely born in the vicinity of Old Barns and Clifton, NS, Canada, where he was listed as living (respectively) in the 1871 and 1881 Censuses of Canada. He worked as a Boatswain's Mate on the barque Harold in 1879, that traveled from Halifax, NS, to Amsterdam, Netherlands and Antwerp, Belgium. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information: Canada, Seafarers of the Atlantic Provinces, 1789-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Index of Surnames from the Ships and Seafarers of Atlantic Canada. CD-ROM. Maritime History Archive, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, accessed 09/19/2023.)
According to the 1900 US Census, he came to the US in 1880. although this was probably not the case as he was still listed as an inhabitant of Canada in 1881. He entered the US after 1881 but remained an alien according to the 1900 US Census. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Township 3, Kern, California; Roll: 87; Page: 13; Enumeration District: 0022, accessed 09/19/2023.)
William Creelman Ambrose wed Olla "Ollie" Wright (born 03/1862 in OH-d. 11/09/1911 in Alameda County, CA) on 09/19/1893 in Tulare, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California Department of Public Health, courtesy of www.vitalsearch-worldwide.com. Digital Images, accessed 09/19/2023.) In 1870, Olla lived on a Ricks, IL farm, one of four children of Ashley Wright (born c. 1828 in OH) and Melissa Emily Templin (born c. 1834 in OH). The family owned about $5,000 worth of land and had $1,000 in savings, on par with neighbors. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1870; Census Place: Ricks, Christian, Illinois; Roll: M593_194; Page: 69B, accessed 09/19/2023.)
Olla and William had five children, all of whom were alive in 1900. His siblings included Thomas Edward Ambrose (born 07/11/1884 in Tulare, CA-d. 08/13/1952 in San Francisco, CA), Emma Ambrose (born c. 06/1886 in CA), Winifred Ambrose (born c. 06/1887 in CA) and George Ambrose (born c. 11/1893 in CA).
Thomas Ambrose also became a civil engineer, attended the University of California, Berkeley, and married Florence Alice Bramhall ( or Turner, born c. 1890 in NJ-d. 07/26/1968 in Alameda County, CA) in 05/1909 in Berkeley, CA. They divorced before 1940. Thomas died of ALS in 1952. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. California, U.S., San Francisco Area Funeral Home Records, 1895-1985 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, accessed 09/19/2023.)
Spouse
William C. Ambrose married Eleanor Nelson Ambrose, in 1924. She, like her husband, was a registered Republican in 1930.
Children
He and Eleanor had two children, Nancy Creelman Ambrose Hawes (born 01/06/1925 in CA-d. 04/01/2011 in Redmond, WA) and Sally Frances Ambrose Brunn (born 08/28/1929 in Oakland, CA-d. 10/19/1991 in San Francisco, CA).
Nancy attended the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) between c. 1943 and 1946 and married Robert Owen Hawes, Sr., (born 05/15/1921-d. 04/13/2017) in 1948. Hawes worked as a salesman selling wood products preservatives in Berkeley, CA, in 1950. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Berkeley, Alameda, California; Roll: 3223; Page: 8; Enumeration District: 61-74, accessed 09/19/2023.)
Sally Ambrose Brunn wed John Brunn on 06/14/1964 in Alameda County, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information: California, U.S., Marriage Index, 1960-1985 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. Original data: State of California. California Marriage Index, 1960-1985. Microfiche. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California, accessed 09/19/2023.) Sally became a donor to the San Francisco Public Library.
Biographical Notes
According to his 11/12/1913 US Passport Application, Ambrose at age 24 was 5-feet 8-inches tall, with light brown hair, gray eyes and a fair complexion. He indicated at this time that he would return to the US within 1 year, in 1914. (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 #: 198; Volume #: Roll 0198 - Certificates: 17840-18761, 07 Nov 1913-29 Nov 1913, accessed 09/19/2023.) He returned to New York, NY, from Naples, Italy, starting his journey on 02/06/1914 aboard the Cunard liner R.M.S. Franconia. Ambrose traveled from Liverpool, England to New York, NY, between 10/31/1914-11/07/1914 aboard the S.S. Saint Paul. On this trip, he was accompanied by his sisters, Winifred Grubman (born 06/22/1887 in Oakland, CA) and Frances Emily (born 06/10/1886 in Tulare, CA), perhaps to visit relatives or to attend a family function.
His World War I draft registration card of 06/05/1917 listed Ambrose to be of medium height and build with blue eyes and blonde hair. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Registration State: California; Registration County: Alameda 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 09/19/2023.)
On 04/25/1942, his World War II draft registration card again indicated that he stood 5-feet, 8-inches tall and weighed 176 pounds. The card listed him as being Caucasian, with gray eyes, gray hair and a "sallow" complexion. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives At St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147, accessed 09/19/2023.)
At age 21, Ambrose was a registered Republican voter, and continued to be in 1930.
President, Claremont Improvement Club, Berkeley, CA, 1931-1932.
Member, Commonwealth Club of CA, San Francisco, CA.
SSN: 550507045.
PCAD id: 360
