Department of Architecture, 1941-1948

File — Box: 16, Folder: 2

Scope and Contents

Topics concerning Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and architecture discussed in this folder include:

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Withdrawal in 1942 of AIT/IIT’s Edfou Temple (i.e., the local chapter) from Scarab (professional architecture fraternity) due to the national fraternity’s membership restriction to “men of the Aryan race and Christian religion.” IIT architecture students had petitioned twice that the restrictions be dropped and were denied, so they withdrew membership in the fraternity. Pres. Heald defends the students’ decision in response to a letter from a Scarab national officer who accuses Mies of “influencing the views of students to a dangerous degree” and imbuing them with “social philosophies which are certainly not American.” (Letter from Verner F. Smith, to HTH, April 24, 1942.) In his reply, Heald support the students and Mies, noting that “[membership restrictions in the constitution of Scarab have been a subject of controversy in our chapter of the Fraternity since long before Mies van der Rohe came to Chicago.” (HTH to Smith, May 13, 1942.)
Discussion of a proposed Industrial Camouflage course to be taught in architecture.
Program accreditation being sought from the national Architectural Accreditation Board and possible move of the architecture program to “south campus” (i.e., the main campus at 33rd and State Sts.; architecture classes were being taught in rented space in the Art Institute building on Michigan Ave. at the time. See next item).
A report dated Aug. 31, 1946 mentions the department’s “new quarters” as of Nov. 1945 at 18 So. Michigan Ave. (across the street from the Art Institute).
An architecture library (i. e., books) and the Nancy Sanders Fund which was being used for book purchases.