Résumé

Employed as a designer-draftsman in a small architectural office [perhaps that of C. Waldo Powers], Los Angeles, CA, c. 1928-1929.

Principal, Welton D. Becket, Architect, Seattle, WA, 1930-1932. Becket worked on his own is Seattle but also collaborated with Walter Wurdeman between 1930 and 1932 under three different firm names in Seattle, including "Welton D. Becket, Architect; Walter C. Wurdeman, Associated Architects," (1930), "Welton D. Becket, Architect; Walter C. Wurdeman, Engineer," (1930), "Becket and Wurdeman, Architect & Engineer," (1931-1932). In 1932, Welton had an office in Room #504 of the Brooklyn Building on the southwest corner of Brooklyn Avenue and East 45th Street. His brother, Evro, worked as the Treasurer of the University Community Hotel Corporation in Room #505 of the Brooklyn Building at that time. His brother, Hugh, was Manager of the Brooklyn Building in 1932. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1932, p. 239.)

Partner, Plummer, Wurdeman and Becket, Architects, Los Angeles, CA, 1933-1939. Charles Plummer died in 1939. The Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1938, (p. 219), indicated that Becket was the Secretary-Treasurer of Plummer, Wurdeman and Becket. In 1942, Wurdeman and Becket had an office at 6536 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles. (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: 122, accessed 03/07/2022.)

Partner: Becket and Wurdeman, 1939-1949. Walter Wurdeman died in 1949.

Becket joined the US military on 02/16/1942. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 122, accessed 09/19/2018.)

President, Welton Becket and Associates, 1949-1968.

Chairman of the Board of Welton Becket and Associates, 1968-1969. Offices were opened in San Francisco (1949), New York (1950), and Houston (1960).

After his death in 1969, his firm became referred to as "Welton Becket Associates," the "and" usually dropped. It remained this until 1988 when it merged with Ellerbe Associates of Minneapolis, MN, to form "Ellerbe Becket," headquartered in Minneapolis. Ellerbe Becket had offices in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Los Angeles, New York, NY, Washington, D.C., Chicago, IL, and Tampa, FL.

Professional Activities

Member, American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Becket served on a small committee of the AIA, Southern California Chapter, advising movie producers on the film, "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House," in 1947. Becket sought to build the most efficient and technologically advanced architectural firm in the world. It was also the largest. In order to maximize efficiency and to supervise his vast drafting room, he could sit in his large private office and review work in the drafting room via closed-circuit television camera.

Master Planner and Supervising Architect, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Westwood, Los Angeles, CA, 1949-1969.

Professional Awards

Recipient, First Prize, Pan Pacific Auditorium Competition, Los Angeles, CA, 1934.

Honor Award, American Institute of Architects, 1936.

Award, Pan American Congress of Architects, 1950.

Fellow, American Institute of Architects (FAIA), 1952.

College

Graduate, Queen Anne High School, Seattle, WA, 1922. Becket was very active in high school. He played baseball and baseball during sophomore through senior years, was in the glee club, and was elected his class vice-president in his senior year. (See Queen Anne High School, Kuay Annual, vol. 13, 1922, p. 45.) He attended the West Queen Anne School prior to entering high school.

B.Arch., University of Washington, Seattle, 1923-1927.

Coursework, École des Beaux Arts, Fontainebleau, France, 1928.

Relocation

Becket was born in Seattle, WA, and grew up in this city. His family remained for most of the 20th century in Seattle, although Welton relocated to Los Angeles, CA, in the 1930s.

In 1910, Welton lived with his parents and four siblings at 1815 6th Avenue West in Seattle. The Beckets also housed two lodgers in 1910, David Foote, also a gold miner, (born c. 1850 in Canada) and E.O. Miller (born c. 1890 in ND).

Ten years later, the 1920 US Census, recorded that Evangeline Becket resided in an apartment house at 1416 East 41st Street in Seattle. At the time, two of her sons, Welton, and Eugene, then a part-owner of a garage, lived with Evangeline. Welton's brother, Lloyd, lived with his wife, Annabel, (born c. 1895 in MI) in the same building. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: T625_1925; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 76, accessed 09/19/2018.) Welton attended the University of Washington (UW), graduating in 1927; his mother lived close by to the UW campus at 4510 Brooklyn Avenue in the University District in 1926. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1926, p. 278.) Interestingly, 4510 Brooklyn Avenue would be across the street from the site of the Edmond Meany Hotel, a property managed by Welton's brother, Evro, by the mid-1930s. Evro worked as Treasurer of the University Community Hotel Corporation and the Managing Director of the Hotel Edmond Meany by 1935. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1935, p. 227.)

He attended school and traveled in France in 1928. He resided in Seattle from 1930 until 1932. In his last year in Seattle, Welton lived at at home with his mother, and sibling, Evro, at 2552 5th Avenue North in Seattle. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1932, p. 170.)

In the midst of the Depression, in 1933, Becket relocated to Los Angeles, CA. Because of the entertainment industry, this city did not feel the financial collapse as drastically as other US cities.

During the 1930s, Becket lived in various locations in the Los Angeles area. In 1936, he and his new bride, Fay, lived at 1028 Morningside Drive in Redondo Beach, CA. (See Manhattan Beach, California, City Directory, 1936, p. 333.)

Becket resided in West Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1938, (p. 219)

Between 02/1942 and 1948, at least, Becket and his wife lived at 515 North Bundy Drive in Los Angeles. (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: 122, accessed 03/07/2022.)

Welton and Fay Becket lived at 248 South Mapleton Drive in Los Angeles from at least 1954 until 1961. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1900-1968, accessed 09/19/2018 and Westwood-Brentwood-Bel-Air (1956-57) City Directory, p. 19.)

Becket died in Los Angeles County, CA, at the age of 66. He was buried in the Evergreen-Washelli Memorial Park, Seattle, WA.

Parents

His father, Hugh Francis Becket (born 01/04/1849 in Peterborough, ON, Canada-d. 07/17/1920 in Seattle, WA), worked as a gold miner, according to the 1910 US Census. According to some reports, Hugh also worked as a building contractor at times in his life. In 1910, Welton's mother, Evangeline Flora McDonald (born c. 03/1867 in Belfast, PEI, Canada-d. 11/17/1945 in Seattle, WA) managed the household that consisted of five children and two lodgers. Evangeline entered the US in 1882 and had been naturalized, according to the 1920 US Census. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: T625_1925; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 76, accessed 09/19/2018.)

Welton had four brothers--Evro M. Becket (born c. 1886-d. 02/03/1960 in Seattle, WA), Lloyd Eldred Becket (born 01/07/1889 in Dickinson, ND-d. 02/10/1960 in Seattle, WA), Eugene Fife Becket (born 08/16/1891 in Centralia, WA), and Hugh Melvin Becket (born 07/1899 in WA-d. 11/08/1946 in Seattle, WA)--and a sister, Janet A. Becket Davies (born 11/11/1894 in ND-d. 04/28/1953 in CA).

Janet married Fred C. Davies (1889-1980) on 06/20/1917 in Seattle, WA. In 1918, Eugene was a mail carrier in Valdez Strait, AK. In 1920, Lloyd worked as the manager of garage.

Spouse

He married Evelyn Francis "Fay" Kastner (born 04/28/1910 in London, England-d. 11/1987 in Beverly Hills, CA) on 07/29/1935 in Los Angeles, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California Department of Public Health, courtesy of www.vitalsearch-worldwide.com. Digital Images. Source Information: California, U.S., County Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1849-1980 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017, accessed 03/07/2022 and "Becket, Fay Kastner," Los Angeles Times, 11/05/1987, pt. 1, p. 28.)

Her father was Alfred Kastner (born c. 1870), her mother, Salome Kastner (born c. 1872). Both were from Hungary, left Europe in 1916. A relative of Alfred's, William Kastner, lived at 105 Dartmouth Road in the London suburb of Brondesbury in 1916. Fay also had a sister, Lydia H. Kastner (born c. 1899) (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1916; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Microfilm Roll: Roll 2499; Line: 7; Page Number: 2, accessed 09/19/2018.) Fay was naturalized in 1922, through her parents. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at San Pedro/Wilmington/Los Angeles, California; NAI Number: 4486355; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group Number: 85, accessed 09/19/2018.)

Fay Becket divorced Welton in 12/1966 after 31 years of marriage.

Children

He and his wife had two sons: Bruce David Becket (born 09/16/1941 in Los Angeles, CA) and Welton McDonald Becket (born 01/30/1944 in Los Angeles, CA).

Bruce Becket wed Sharon Good in Florence Italy in 10/1965. (See "Pair Revite Nuptial Vows in Italy," Los Angeles Evening Citizen-News, 10/07/1965, p. A5.)

Welton M. Becket married Judith Gwen Allen in 01/1967. (See "Becket and Allen Vows Exchanged," Los Angeles Times, 01/23/1967, pt. VI, p. 4.) Welton also had a son, Welton M. "Tripp" Becket, whose name had the suffix "III" in his grandmother's obituary of 11/05/1987. (See "Becket, Fay Kastner," Los Angeles Times, 11/05/1987, pt. 1, p. 28.)

Biographical Notes

Becket sailed aboard the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique's S.S. Île de France from Le Havre, France on 11/09/1927, arriving in New York, NY, on 11/15/1927. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1927; Arrival: New York, New York, USA; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Line: 6; Page Number: 47 Source Information: New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, accessed 03/07/2022.)

According to his World War II draft registration card of 02/16/1942, Becket was Caucasian with a dark brown complexion. He stood 5-feet, 11-inches tall and weighed 150 pounds, and had brown hair and brown eyes. (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: 122, accessed 03/07/2022.)

According to State of CA voter registration records, Becket and his wife were both registered Republicans in 1948 and 1954. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1900-1968, accessed 09/19/2018.)

Becket returned to NY, NY, likely from a location abroad, on 12/11/1958. His passenger record had a stamp from the Immigration and Naturalization Service. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; NAI Number: 2848504; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787 - 2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: A3998; NARA Roll Number: 127, accessed 03/07/2022.)

Becket flew to London, England, in 1961 aboard Pan American Airways. He returned to the US on 08/08/1961. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Passenger & Crew Manifests of Airplanes Arriving at Los Angeles, California; NAI Number: 2788930; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2009; Record Group Number: 85, accessed 09/19/2018.)

SSN: 560148924.

• Seattle, WA (Architect's Birth)
  Seattle, WA

  ---

  ---