Résumé

Engineer, US Army Air Forces, World War II. He enlisted on 12/01/1941 at Fort Thomas, Newport, KY. Rankin rose to the rank of Major in the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) by 1946.

Draftsman/Designer, William H. Harrison, Architect, Los Angeles, CA, 1946-1948.

Draftsman/Designer/Associate, Herman Charles Light, Architect, Los Angeles, CA, 1950-1951.

Partner, Rankin and Gray, Architects and Engineers, Lexington, KY, 1951-1954.

Principal, Carroll Rankin, Architect, Lexington, KY, c. 1958. In 1958, Rankin's office was at 314 1/2 South Ashland Avenue. (See Lexington, Kentucky, City Directory, 1958, p. 570.)

Architect, Office of Ernest J. Kump, Palo Alto, CA, 1959-1961.

Associate, Ernest Kump and Associates, Palo Alto, CA, 1961- c. 1963. (See Palo Alto, California, City Directory, 1963, p. 366.)

Partner, Worsley, Rankin and Williams, Architects, Palo Alto, CA, 1965- . (See Palo Alto, California, City Directory, 1965, p. 393.)

Partner, Worsley and Rankin, Architects, Palo Alto, CA, c. 1968. (See Palo Alto, California, City Directory, 1968, p. 430.)

Principal, Carrol S. Rankin, Architect, Palo Alto, CA, c. 1972. In 1972, Rankin operated his architectural office at 928 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. (See Palo Alto, California, City Directory, 1972, p. 39.)

Secretary-Treasurer, American Institute of Architects, Eastern Kentucky Chapter, 1953. When surveyed in 1962, Rankin indicated that he was NCARB Certified.

College

Coursework, civil engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, c. 1937-1940. Rankin was a sophomore and a junior at the University of Kentucky in 1938 and a member of the Mu Iota Fraternity. (See University of Kentucky Kentuckian Yearbook, 1938, p. 298.) His entry in the American Architects Directory, 1962 and his World War IIdraft registration card indicated that he was still at the University of Kentucky on 10/16/1940. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WW II Draft Registration Cards For Kentucky, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 522, accessed 02/21/2025.)

B.Arch., University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA, 1950.

College Awards

Beaux-Arts Institute of Design, 2nd Place Medal, 1940.

Relocation

Rankin was born in Junction City, Boyle County, in central KY, on 09/17/1917. The town was originally called "Goresburg" (later "Goresburgh,") for the Gore family's Gore Hotel operating there. It was again renamed "Junction City" when two railroad lines--the Cincinnati Southern Railway and Louisville and Nashville Railroad--intersected there by 1882.

In 1920, Rankin resided with his parents in a rented dwelling at 328 Park Avenue in Lexington, KY. The Rankins lived in another rented house on Goodrich Avenue in Lexington by 1930. They paid $35 per month in rent at that time. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: District 6, Fayette, Kentucky; Page: 31B; Enumeration District: 0028; FHL microfilm: 2340479, accessed 02/21/2025.)

By 1940, the Rankins had saved enough to purchase a residence with an estimated value of $7000 at 335 Ridgeway Road in Lexington. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Fayette, Kentucky; Roll: m-t0627-01303; Page: 26A; Enumeration District: 34-55, accessed 02/21/2025.)

In 1958, Rankin and his wife Laura dwelled at 1213 East Scoville Drive in Lexington. (See Lexington, Kentucky, City Directory, 1958, p. 570.)

The architect relocated to Palo Alto, CA, to work in the office of noted designer of schools, Ernest J. Kump, Jr., (1911-1999). In 1961, Rankin lived at 45 Roosevelt Circle in Palo Alto, CA. (See Palo Alto, California, City Directory, 1961, p. 362.)

In 1966, Rankin and his wife Laura resided at 372 Parkside Drive in Palo Alto, CA. (See Palo Alto, California, City Directory, 1966, p. 432.) They continued to live here through at least 1997. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, accessed 02/18/2025.)

Parents

His mother was Ethel M. Sears (born 06/22/1892 in KY-d. 08/24/1969 in Santa Clara County, CA). (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. Kentucky, U.S., Birth Index, 1911-1999 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2006, accessed 02/18/2025.) Ethel wed Luther Thurman Rankin (born 04/18/1888 in Pall Mall, TN-d. 08/10/1964 in Fayette County, KY) on 03/09/1910 in Union County, IN. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016, accessed 02/21/2025.)

In 1920, Luther Rankin worked as a bookkeeper in a woodware manufacturing company. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Lexington Ward 5, Fayette, Kentucky; Roll: T625_568; Page: 15A; Enumeration District: 68, accessed 02/21/2025.) By 1930, Luther and Ethel had become realtors in Fayette County, KY, near Lexington. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: District 6, Fayette, Kentucky; Page: 31B; Enumeration District: 0028; FHL microfilm: 2340479, accessed 02/21/2025.) Luther and Ethel continued in the realty and insurance business in 1958 in Lexington. (See Lexington, Kentucky, City Directory, 1958, p. 571.)

Carroll had a brother (likely half-brother) Wilmott Rankin (born 11/13/1912 in KY-d. 11/06/1968 in IN). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2011; Year: 1968; Roll: 18, accessed 02/21/2025.)

Spouse

He wed Laura J. Freeman (born 04/21/1919-d. 02/19/2015) on 06/21/1948 in CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California Department of Public Health, courtesy of www.vitalsearch-worldwide.com. Digital Images, accessed 02/21/2025.)

Her father was Harold C. Freeman (born 10/28/1887 in Racine, WI-d. 02/09/1950 in Racine, WI), her mother Gratia D. Jones (born 12/28/1891-d. 07/01/1927). After Gratia's early death, Harold remarried Grace Amelia Hogan (born 03/01/1901 in Marietta, WI-d. 09/30/1984 in Racine, WI).

Biographical Notes

In 1936, Rankin was a 18-year-old crew member aboard the US Lines' S.S. Washington, which arrived from Hamburg, Germany, to New York, NY on 07/23/1936. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC, USA; Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957; Microfilm Serial or NAID: T715; RG Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; RG: 85, accessed 02/21/2025.)

Member, Greater Lexington Committee, Lexington, KY, 1953-1954.

• Junction City, KY (Architect's Birth)
  Junction City, KY

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