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Male, US, born 1911-07-16, died 1994-10-24
Associated with the firms network
Honnold and Lautner, Associated Architects; Lautner, John E., Architect; Taliesin Fellowship
Résumé
After college, Lautner apprenticed on a Taliesin Fellowship (Wisconsin and Arizona) with Frank Lloyd Wright in 1933-1939. According to one source, "After graduating from college, Lautner’s mother got word that Frank Lloyd Wright was accepting applications for his Taliesin Fellowship in Wisconsin and encouraged him to apply. Young, shy, and still trying to find himself, Lautner interviewed for the program and was accepted." (See Rost Architecture Interiors.com, "Eight Things You Should Know about the Architect John Lautner," published 01/30/2019, accessed 04/08/2021.)
For Wright, he supervised some of his most important works of the 1930s, including Falling Water, (Bear Run, PA, 1936) and the Johnson Wax Building, (Racine, WI, 1937). He came to Southern California in 1937 to oversee the construction of the Sturges House and Oboler Studio and House for Wright. Lautner also participated in setting up Taliesin West near Scottsdale, AZ, in the late 1930s.
Principal, John Lautner, Architect, Los Angeles, CA, 1939- . He designed his first house, for himself and his first wife, on Micheltorena Street in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, in 1939. During World War II, Lautner worked as a Contractors' Superintendant.
Lautner never became rich as an architect. According to his obituary: "Lautner prided himself on caring more for good design than for profit, once noting, 'I just kept a week ahead of the rent for 35 years.'" (See Myrna Oliver, "John Lautner; Innovative L.A. Architect," Los Angeles Times, 10/27/1994, p. A34.)
Teaching
Visiting Critic, Chouinard Art Institute, Los Angeles, CA.
Professional Activities
Member, American Institute of Architects (AIA).
As late as 1951, Lautner was still not a licensed architect, as he had failed the structural portion of the examination up to that point. He obtained his architectural license to practice in the State of CA in 1952.
Jury Member, American Institute of Architects, Southern California Chapter, 1984 Los Angeles Olympics Gateway Arch Competition, Los Angeles, CA, c. 1982. Other members of the jury included architect Frank O. Gehry, (born 02/28/1929 in Toronto, ON), Raymond Kappe (1927-2019), Lautner, and sculptor Clare Falkenstein (1908-1997). (See "Architects, Sculptor Named to Arch Jury," Los Angeles Times, 06/19/1983, part VIII, p. 9.) Sculptor Robert Graham (1938-2008) unvelied his design for the archway with torsos of male and female athletes on 06/01/1984.
Professional Awards
Fellow, American Institute of Architects (FAIA), 1970.
Recipient, American Institute of Architects (AIA), Los Angeles Chapter, Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement, 1993.
College
Coursework, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
B.A., English, Northern State Teachers College, (later known as "Northern Michigan State College" and "Northern Michigan University"), Marquette, MI, 1933.
Relocation
Born in Marquette, MI, John Edward Lautner, Jr., lived with his parents at 1308 Presque Isle Avenue in that city in 1920. The house was located across the street from the Northern State Normal School at which John E. Lautner, Sr., taught. Many of the Lautner's neighbors in this section of Marquette had Swedish or Finnish ancestry. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Marquette, Marquette, Michigan; Roll: T625_784; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 237, accessed 04/06/2021.) The Lautners continued to reside here a decade later. In 1930, the Lautner House had a value of $10,000, about $1,000 to $5,000 more than others in the vicinity. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Marquette, Marquette, Michigan; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 0023; FHL microfilm: 2340745, accessed 04/08/2021.)
His parents remained at 1308 Presque Isle Avenue in 1943, the year of John Edward Lautner, Sr.'s, death.
John Lautner, Jr., worked for Frank Lloyd Wright in his Taliesin Fellowship, Spring Green, WI, and Scottsdale, AZ, from 1934-1939.
Lautner moved to Los Angeles, CA, from Wisconsin in the late 1930s to serve as construction supervisor for Wright. According to his Los Angeles Times obituary of 10/27/1994 by Myrna Oliver: "Lautner set up hs practice shortly after moving to Los Angeles to supervise Wright projects. He later recalled his first impression of the city: 'It was so ugly, it made me physically sick.'" (See Myrna Oliver, "John Lautner; Innovative L.A. Architect," Los Angeles Times, 10/27/1994, p. A34.)
Despite his nauseated first impression, he decided to stay, and began work on his own in either 1939 or 1940. His World War II draft registration card of 10/16/1940 indicated that he and his wife, Mary, resided at 2007 Micheltorena Avenue in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. (See Source Citation The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; 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: 1019, accessed 04/06/2021.) They remained at 2007 Micheltorena in 1942. (See (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1942, p. 1401.) This area of Silver Lake on Micheltorena Street was filled with architect-designed, Modern houses by 1940.
CA voter records indicated that Lautner resided at 1820 El Cerrito Place in Los Angeles, CA, in 1956. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1900-1968, accessed 04/07/2021.)
Lautner died of heart failure at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles at the age of 83. (See Myrna Oliver, "John Lautner; Innovative L.A. Architect," Los Angeles Times, 10/27/1994, p. A34.) His last residence was in the 90028 zip code of Los Angeles.
Parents
The architect's father was John Edward Lautner, Sr., (d. 06/27/1943 in Marquette, MI), a teacher at the Normal School in Marquette, according to the 1930 US Census. Birthdates for John Edward Lautner, Sr., vary wildly. His death certificate listed his date of birth as 09/07/1864. A US passport application of 05/15/1907 recorded a date of birth as 09/04/1870. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, Michigan; Death Records and Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Roll #: 38; Volume #: Roll 0038 - Certificates: 32814-33713, 16 May 1907-25 May 1907, accessed 04/07/2021.)
John's mother was Vida Cathleen Gallagher, (born 08/22/1886 in Cheboygan, MI-d. 06/04/1978 in Ishpeming, MI), a woman fourteen years younger than her husband according to their marriage records. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Michigan Department of Community Health, Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867-1952; Film: 91; Film Description: 1907 Barrien-1907 Ingham and Ancestry.com, Source Information Michigan Department of Vital and Health Records. Michigan, U.S., Death Index, 1971-1996 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1998, accessed 04/07/2021.) There is some question as to whether Vida was born on 08/22/1884 or 08/22/1886, with the Social Security Death Index, Master File, indicating the former, while Michigan Department of Vital and Health Records. Michigan, U.S., Death Index, 1971-1996, stated the latter date. In 1870, Vida's family resided in Cheboygan, MI, where her father Edward worked as a hotelkeeper. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1870; Census Place: Emmett, St Clair, Michigan; Roll: M593_698; Page: 180A, accessed 04/08/2021.)
John, Sr., and Vida wed on 06/18/1907 in Houghton, MI. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Michigan, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1822-1940 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016, accessed 04/07/2021.)
John Lautner, Sr.'s, parents, Wenzel Lautner (07/08/1838 in Asutria-d. 01/16/1922 in Leelanau County, MI), a farmer, and Mary Anna Herzig (born 12/02/1842 in Austria-d. 12/29/1918 in Solon, MI), a housewife, came to Michigan from Austria before 1866. Wenzel and Mary Ann had at least six children, of which John Lautner, Sr., was the eldest.
Vida's parents were Edward Gallagher (born 05/01/1841 in Canada-d. 10/29/1911 in Jacksonville, FL)) and Katherine Butler (born 04/27/1844 in MI-d. 07/23/1917 in Jacksonville, FL). Again, dates do not agree for Edward's birth, with the 1900 US Census listing his dob as 05/1845, while Find a Grave.com listed it as 05/01/1841, while the 1870 Census listed a likely birthdate of 1843 and that of 1910 a date of 1844. Katherine's birthdate did not align either, with a discrepancy of 04/1847 in the 1900 Census and 04/27/1844 in Find a Grave.com. The 1910 US Census also indicated that Edward and Katherine had had ten children together, of whom six survived in that year. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1870; Census Place: Emmett, St Clair, Michigan; Roll: M593_698; Page: 180A and Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Jacksonville Ward 1, Duval, Florida; Roll: T624_159; Page: 20B; Enumeration District: 0068; FHL microfilm: 1374172, accessed 04/08/2021.) They wed in Columbus, MI, on 01/25/1864. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Web: St. Clair County, Michigan, U.S., Marriage Index, 1838-1898 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, 2015, accessed 04/08/2021.)
John and Vida had two children, John, Jr., and Kathleen Lautner (born c. 1915 in MI).
John and Vida Lautner applied for a US passport for travel abroad on 05/15/1907. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Roll #: 38; Volume #: Roll 0038 - Certificates: 32814-33713, 16 May 1907-25 May 1907, accessed 04/08/2021.)
According to the 1930 US Census, Vida worked as an interior designer. This occupation may have influenced the interests of her son during his childhood.
At his death, John Edward Lautner, Sr., had resided in Marquette, MI, for 36 years at his death. He passed away from myocarditis and had been in Saint Luke's Hospital in Marquette for three weeks before his passing.
Spouse
Lautner married Mary Faustina Roberts (later Mary deRoche, born c. 1923 in Marquette, MI- d. 04/21/1995) on 01/01/1934 in Marquette, MI. Mary, nicknamed "MaryBud," worked at Taliesin East for Frank Lloyd Wright at the same time as John, and they wed sooner after meeting. They purchased their marriage license on 12/08/1933.
He and Mary divorced in 1946. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Michigan Department of Community Health, Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867-1952; Film: 145; Film Title: 52 Marquette 2251-5569; Film Description: Marquette [1932-1940], accessed 04/06/2021.) Following the divorce, she returned to live in Marquette, MI.
Mary's parents were Alton T. Roberts and Abby Beecher Longyeer.
Lautner wed Elizabeth Gilman Honnold (born 01/19/1905-d. 09/16/1978), his second wife, on 02/25/1950 in Los Angeles, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information California, U.S., Marriage Index, 1949-1959 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013, accessed 04/06/2021.) She was 44 and he was 38. Elizabeth was once the wife of the architect, Douglas Honnold (1901-1974).
He married Francisca Hernandez (born 05/13/1921 in San Lorenzo, Mexico-d. 07/29/2002) on 06/12/1982 in Los Angeles, CA. He was 70, she, 61. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information California, U.S., Marriage Index, 1960-1985 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007, accessed 04/06/2021.) Francisca's parents were Manuel Hernandez and Raquel Castillo (born 09/10/1900).
At his death, two of his three wives survived him, along with four children, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. One of Lautner's step-children was Elizabeth Honnold Harris.
Children
With Mary Roberts, he had four daughters and one son: Karol Lautner Peterson (b. 1938); Mary Beecher Lautner (b. CA, 1944); Judith Munroe Lautner (b. CA, 1946) and Michael John Lautner (b. Astor Farm, Indio, CA, 1942).
Biographical Notes
There is a discrepancy in the death date recorded in the California Death Index, 1940-1997, versus that listed in the Social Security Death Index.
His World War II draft registration card described Lautner as being Caucasian with a light complexion, atanding 6-feet, 2-inches tall, weighing 170 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. (See Source Citation The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; 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: 1019, accessed 04/06/2021.)
In 1956, Lautner was a registered Democrat according to state voting records. His wife, Elizabeth, was a Republican. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1900-1968, accessed 04/07/2021.)
SSN: 567-26-6348.
PCAD id: 70
