Résumé

Architect, US Farm Security Administration (FSA), San Francisco, CA, 1940. In 1940, the US Farm Security Administration had its office located at 85 2nd Street in San Francisco, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for California, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 93, accessed 04/14/2022.) The architect Vernon DeMars (1908-2005) also worked for the FSA at this time.

Lieutenant, Junior Grade, US Navy, World War II, 1943-1946.

Partner, Reid, Rockwell, Banwell and Tarics, Architects and Engineers, San Francisco, CA, 1953-1962.

Partner, Rockwell and Banwell, Architects, San Francisco, CA, 1962-1970.

Participating Associate and Vice-president, Hardison and Komatsu, Associates, San Francisco, CA, 1970- .

Professional Activities

Member, American Institute of Architects (AIA), Northern California Chapter, 1954- .

College

B.Arch., University of California, Berkeley (UCB), Berkeley, CA, 1937.

Relocation

Richard Sydney Banwell was born in Erindale, ON, Canada, a neighborhood in the City of Mississauga, in 1915.

The Banwells lived next door to Thomas and Marian C.K. Hector, his mother Nora's parents, in a part of Toronto Township in 1921. At this time, the Banwell household include Richard's parents, Evelyn and Nora and his three sisters. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Reference Number: RG 31; Folder Number: 80; Census Place: Toronto Tp, Peel, Ontario; Page Number: 3 Source Information Ancestry.com. 1921 Census of Canada [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2013, accessed 01/28/2026.)

In 10/1940, Banwell resided at 1304 Josephine Street in Berkeley, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for California, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 93, accessed 04/14/2022.)

Banwell resided at 18 Garron Court in Walnut Creek, CA, in 1962. (See "Banwell, Richard Sydney," American Architects Directory, Second Edition, 1962, [New York, NY: R.R. Bowker and Company,1962], p. 32.)

Parents

His father was Evelyn Banwell (born c. 1883 in ON), whose father was English-born and his mother, Canadian. According to the 1921 Canadian Census, he worked as a salesman.

Evelyn married Nora Rose Hector (born 11/21/1884 in ON-d. 08/22/1963 in Riverside, CA). Her parents were Marian Christiana Katherine Magrath (born 12/27/1857 in Brampton, ON-d. 03/11/1922 in Brampton, ON) and Thomas Wilson Hector (born 07/24/1853 in ON-d. 09/24/1944 in Riverside County, CA). Marian and Thomas worked on a farm, and raised four children there, Nora Hector, Vincent Gordon Hector (born 02/13/1886 in ON), Douglas Forbes Hector (born 06/17/1888 in ON-d. 07/06/1913 in Brampton, ON) and Elsie Clara Hector (born 02/28/1899 in Peel, ON-d. 11/13/1987 in Tempe, AZ).

Evelyn and Nora had four children in 1921: His siblings included Katherine Evelyn Banwell (born 09/17/1910 in ON, Canada-d. 02/01/1987 in Sacramento County, CA), Sheila Diana Banwell (born 01/15/1913 in Toronto, ON, Canada-d. 10/31/1982 in Riverside County, CA) and Margaret Phyllis Magrath Banwell Swanson (born 02/24/1920 in CA-d. 12/30/2007) . (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Reference Number: RG 31; Folder Number: 80; Census Place: Toronto Tp, Peel, Ontario; Page Number: 3 Source Information Ancestry.com. 1921 Census of Canada [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2013, accessed 01/28/2026.)

Biographical Notes

As noted on his World War II draft registration card, Banwell was Caucasian with a ruddy complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. He stood 5-feet, 8-inches tall and weighed 160 pounds. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for California, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 93, accessed 04/14/2022.)