Charles Irving Luckman Sr. (Architect)

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Male, US, born 1909-05-16, died 1999-01-26

Associated with the firms network

Lind, Kenneth N. and Luckman, Charles, Architects; Luckman Partnership, Incorporated; Luckman and Wexler, Architects; Luckman, Charles, Associates; Pereira and Luckman, Architects, Engineers and Planners

Professional History

Résumé

Engineer, Steam Fitters Association, Chicago, IL, 1926-1927; Draftsman, Robert L. Pioso, Architect, 288 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL, 1928-1930; Designer, Kenneth L. Lind, Architect, Chicago, IL, 1931-1936; Partner, Lind and Luckman, Architects, Chicago, IL, 1936-1943; Partner, Pereira and Luckman, Architects, Los Angeles, CA, 1950-c. 1958; Partner, Charles Luckman Associates Planning Architecture Engineering, Los Angeles, CA, and New York, NY, c. 1958-c. 1970s; Partner, Charles Luckman Partnership, Los Angeles, CA;

Professional Service

Luckman joined the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1945. When surveyed in 1962, Luckman reported that he was NCARB Certified.

Professional Awards

CBS Television City, Los Angeles, CA, won a 1952 American Institute of Architecture Honor Award. Luckman won a Los Angeles Beautiful Award in 1966 for the exterior appearance of his office building in Los Angeles. Honorary LL.D., University of Miami, Miami, FL, 1950; Italian Star of Solidarity, Republic of Italy; Member, French Legion of Honor; Applause Award, Sales Executive Club, New York, NY; Horatio Alger Award; included on Forbes Magazine's List of 50 Foremost Industrialists in the U.S. Fellow, American Institute of Architects (FAIA), 1963; Luckman was one of four Southern CA architects to be elected to the AIA College of Fellows in 1963, the others being Edward A. Killingsworth (1917-2004), William Gray Purcell (1880-1965), and Charles Day Woodford (1910-1987).

Education

Education

Graduate, Northeast High School, Kansas City, MO, 1925; Junior College Degree, Kansas City Junior College of Engineering, Kansas City, MO, 1925-1926; B.S., University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL, 1927-1931.

College Awards

Magna Cum Laude, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL, 1931; Gargoyle Society, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL, 1930; Theta Tau, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL, 1930; Tau Beta Pi, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL, 1930;

Personal

Relocation

Born in Kansas City, MO, Luckman attended colleges in Kansas City, MO, (1925-1926) and Champaign-Urbana, IL, (1927-1931); he lived in Chicago, IL, on and off, from c. 1920-1943, although he traveled often on business. Luckman worked part-time for architects Robert L. Pioso and Kenneth Lind in Chicago from 1928-1943. He lived in New York, NY, c. 1944-1950, working as an executive with Lever Brothers Company. He formed an architectural partnership with William Pereira in Los Angeles, CA, in 1950. Following his split with Pereira, he maintained offices of Charles Luckman Associates in New York and Los Angeles. Luckman traveled extensively, making trips to Spain frequently in the 1950s-1960s. He died in West Hollywood, CA, in 1999.

Parents

His father was Albert John Luckman, (1889-1973), born in New York of Russian parents; in 1920, he worked as a buyer for a dry goods store in Chicago, IL. Charles Luckman's mother was Dara Golden (born c. 1898 in NJ), who worked as a homemaker in 1920. Her parents immigrated from Poland. His parents married c. 1908. In 1920, Dara Luckman's sister , Frances Golden, (born c. 1899 in NJ) lived in Apartment 2W, 4839 North Ashland Avenue in Chicago with Charles and his parents.

Spouse

Charles Luckman was married to Harriet McElroy in 05/1931; Luckman met her at the University of Illinois, when he was a sophomore. They married after his senior year.

Children

He and Harriet had three sons, Charles, Jr., James, and Stephen Luckman.

Biographical Notes

Luckman was a very successful businessman before returning to the practice of architecture with William L. Pereira in 1950; he was the President of the Lever Brothers Company, at the time it was redesigning its New York, NY, headquarters; Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill's New York Office worked with Luckman to produce the highly influential design; SSN: 318-01-5698;

Associated Locations

  • West Hollywood, CA (Architect's Death)
    West Hollywood, CA
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  • Los Angeles, CA (Architect's Death)
    Los Angeles, CA
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  • Kansas City, MO (Architect's Birth)
    Kansas City, MO
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PCAD id: 66

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Buildings and other works

NameDateCityState
American Broadcasting Company (ABC), Television Studios, Los Angeles, CA1960Los AngelesCA
Avco Tower, Westwood, Los Angeles, CALos AngelesCA
Broadway Plaza, Galleria Shopping Mall, Downtown, Los Angeles, CA1973Los AngelesCA
California Federal Savings and Loan, Headquarters Building, Los Angeles, CA1965Los AngelesCA
California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Page House, Pasadena, CA1960PasadenaCA
Chicago Housing Development, Chicago, ILChicagoIL
Chrysler Corporation, Sales and Service Training Center, Anaheim, CA1958
City of Los Angeles, Department of Recreation and Parks, Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Los Angeles, CA1963Los AngelesCA
City of Los Angeles, Public Library (LAPL), Main Library #4, Downtown, Los Angeles CA1922-1926Los AngelesCA
Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), Television City, Fairfax District, Los Angeles, CA1951-1952Los AngelesCA
Customs House Square, Wilmington, DE1970WilmingtonDE
Daniels-Held Office Building, Los Angeles, CALos AngelesCA
Dillingham Building, Westwood, Los Angeles, CALos AngelesCA
Dormitories and Commons, University of Delaware, Newark, DENewarkDE
Farmers and Stockmens Bank, Headquarters, Washington Street and 50th Street, Camelback East Village, Phoenix, AZ1950-1951PhoenixAZ
Forum, Inglewood, CA1966-1967InglewoodCA
Hilton Hotels Corporation, Berlin Hilton, West Berlin, GermanyWest Berlin
Luckman, Charles, Associates, Office Building, Los Angeles, CA
Madison Square Garden #4, Midtown, Manhattan, New York, NY1968New YorkNY
Marineland of the Pacific, Recreation and Education Complex, Long Point, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA1953-1954Rancho Palos VerdesCA
Ogden Development Corporation Building, Los Angeles, CA1970-1971Los AngelesCA
Pacific Employers Group Building, Koreatown, Los Angeles, CA 1962-1963Los AngelesCA
Palm Springs Convention Center Project, Palm Springs, CA1965Palm SpringsCA
Pereira and Luckman Offices #1, Hollywood, Los Angeles, CALos AngelesCA
Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), General Plan, Westchester, Los Angeles, CA1928Los AngelesCA
Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Standard Oil Company of California, Gas Station, Westchester, Los Angeles, CA1961Los AngelesCA
Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Theme and Arch Building, Westchester, Los Angeles, CA1957-1961Los AngelesCA
Robinson's, J.W., Department Store, Beverly Hills, CA 1950-1952Beverly HillsCA
Robinson's, J.W., Department Store, Palm Springs, CA1958Palm SpringsCA
Robinson's, J.W., Department Store, Pasadena, CA1958PasadenaCA
Santa Barbara College, Second Campus, Plan #2, Santa Barbara, CA1953Santa BarbaraCA
United California Bank, Headquarters Building #2, Downtown, Los Angeles, CA1970-1973Los AngelesCA
United States Fitness Center1985-1986
United States Government, Department of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards, Boulder Laboratory, Boulder, CO1952BoulderCO
United States Government, Federal Office Building, Westwood, Los Angeles, CA1970Westwood, Los AngelesCA
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Medical Center, Westwood, Los Angeles, CA1955Los AngelesCA
University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), Second Campus, Long Range Development Plan, Santa Barbara, CA1962-1963
University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), Second Campus, Plan #3, Santa Barbara, CA1958Santa BarbaraCA
WED Enterprises, Disneyland, Master Plan #1, Anaheim, CA1952-1953AnaheimCA
Wells Fargo and Company Bank, Headquarters Building #3, Downtown, Los Angeles, CA1971-1973Los AngelesCA
Wilshire West PlazaLos AngelesCA

Publications

Barrier, Michael, Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney, 235-269, 2007. "New Airport Design, in the U.S. and Abroad", Architectural Forum, 117: 81, 07/1962. "Oceanarium for Los Angeles", Architectural Forum, 100: 1, 45, 1954-01. "United California Bank building, Los Angeles, Calif", Architectural Record, 107, 1974-08. "The Record Reports", Architectural Record, 122: 6, 260, 12/1957. Gleye, Paul, Architecture of Los Angeles, 159, c. 1981. "Robinson's Beverly Hills", Arts and Architecture, 4/1952. "Student shelter systems breakthrough: modular building technology copes with the challenge of housing students in the flexible quarters, often apartments rather than dormitories, that today's students require", Contract Interiors, 131: 4, 88-91, "Tall stories--according to the lawsuits", Forbes, 16-17, 5/1/1975. "Newslines", Journal of the American Institute of Architects, 46: 6, 22, 12/1966. Long Range Development Plan, University of California Santa Barbara, 1963. Gebhard, David, Winter, Robert, Los Angeles An Architectural Guide, 176, 1994. Gebhard, David, Winter, Robert, Los Angeles An Architectural Guide, 107, 1994. Gebhard, David, Winter, Robert, Los Angeles An Architectural Guide, 107, 1994. "Luckman offers to share library data", Los Angeles Times, part I: 24, col 1-2, 8/2/1979. Luckman, Charles, "Letters to the Time; Library: Good Reasons for Delay", Los Angeles Times, part II: 4, col 1-2, 8/11/1979. Biddle, James, "L.A. Library is landmark of national significance", Los Angeles Times, part II: 3, col 3-4, 9/1/1979. "Luckmans say revamping has paid off", Los Angeles Times, part X: 14, col 1-6, 3/18/1979. "Luckman, Albert John obituary (father of architect, Charles Luckman)", Los Angeles Times, section A: 19, 1/7/1973. "Architect Luckman elected Freedom Foundation leader", Los Angeles Times, part VIII: 8, 3/30/1986. Oliver, Myrna, "Architect Charles Luckman dies", Los Angeles Times, B1, B8, 1/27/1999. "L.A. chapter names Luckman Man of Year", Los Angeles Times, part X: 2, 4/14/1974. "Good Design Exhibit Nears", Los Angeles Times, D6, 6/28/1953. "Luckman honored", Los Angeles Times, part VI: 5, 4/29/1984. "Luckman article 1985", Los Angeles Times, part VIII: 5, 2/3/1985. "Luckman will design U.S. fitness unit (in Orange County)", Los Angeles Times, part VIII: 2, 8/4/1985. "Ogden Development Corporation Building article", Los Angeles Times, 05/30/1970. "Avco Tower bought by Dillingham Company", Los Angeles Times, section K: 4/23/1972. "Four Southland Architects New Fellows of AIA", Los Angeles Times, 1, 1963-03-17. "Daniels-Held Building dedicated", Los Angeles Times, 5/3/1964. "Dillingham Building, Westwood, Los Angeles", Los Angeles Times, sect J: 1, 9/8/1968. "Los Angeles Public Library Feasibility Report 1975", Los Angeles Times, Part II: 1, col 2-3, 3, col 1, 6/20/1975. Easton, Mary, "The Death of Marineland", Los Angeles Times Magazine, 6-10, 08/09/1987. Mid-Century Architecture in America, 40, 1961. Eckardt, Wolf Von, "Pereira & Luckman and J.E. Stanton; Robert W. Ditzen, Associate Architect", Mid-Century Architecture in America, 88, 1961. Redstone, Louis G., New Downtowns, 172-175, 1976. Fowler, Glenn, "Imaginative Use of Steel Wins Building Design Awards", New York Times, 269, 06/03/1962. Koehler, Bob, "Architects take a holiday in Santa Barbara", Pacific Architect and Builder, 61: 10, 8, 1955-10. "P/A Annual Design Survey for 1954 and first Design Awards Program Commerce", Progressive Architecture, XXXV: 1, 88-89, 01/1954. Shepherd, Roger, Structures of Our Time, 136-141, 2002. "ABC Television Studios, Los Angeles article", Time, 3/3/1962. Luckman, Charles, Twice in a Lifetime: From Soap to Skyscrapers, 24-28, 1988. "Warmth and Order for a New University Campus", Western Architect and Engineer, 221: 1, front cover, 1, 18-21, 01/1961. "Luckman, Charles", Who's Who in California, 1973, 84-85, 1973.

Exhibitions

Pacific Coast Architecture Database (PCAD) — © 2005-Alan Michelson

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