Draftsman, Stiles O. Clements and Associates, Architects, Los Angeles, CA, 1946-1949; Architect, City of Los Angeles, Engineering Department, Los Angeles, CA, 1949-1951; Partner, [John J.] Kewell, Kocher and Benedict, Architects and Engineers, Los Angeles, CA, 1951-1953; Partner, Benedict, Beckler and Kocher, Architects, Los Angeles, CA, 1953- ; this firm had an address of 252 South Oxford Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, in 1955;

Registered Architect in the State of CA, 1955;

Coursework, Los Angeles City College, 1934-1937; B.Arch., University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 1942;

Born in Whittier, CA, Kocher spent his life--save for World War II duty in the Pacific--in Southern California. In 1920, Norman lived with his family at 808 East Marie Street in Watts, CA. The family lived in a dwelling at 6114 Hillandale Boulevard in Los Angeles, CA, ten years later. The house had a value of about $6,000 in 1930. His last residence was at 118 Claremont Avenue in Long Beach, CA.

His parents married c. 1913. His father was Elmer B. Kocher (born c. 1890 in CA) , who in 1920, worked as a carpenter. Elmer's parents came to CA from NY, according to the U.S. Census of 1920. The U.S. Census of 1930, however, indicated that his father had come from Switzerland. At this time, he worked as a carpenter in a motion picture studio. His mother was Martha J. Kocher (born c.1891 in Munich, Germany), who raised the family's children, Marguerite (born c. 1913 in CA), Norman and Allen (born c. 1920 in CA). The 1930 Census indicated that she came to the U.S. in 1902 and had been naturalized before 1930. In 1920, Martha's mother, Johanna Meyer (born c. 1866 in Germany), lived with the family.

Kocher married in 1942; in 1955, he reported having had 1 child.

In 1955, he reported having had foreign travel in Japan, Okinawa, Guam and the Philippines, probably as a result of World War II duty.

• Whittier, CA (Architect's Birth)
  Whittier, CA

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