William A. Starrett

William A. Starrett
W. A. Starrett, Jr.
Born William Aiken Starrett
(1877-06-14)June 14, 1877
Lawrence, Kansas
Died March 26, 1932(1932-03-26) (aged 54)
Madison, New Jersey
Nationality American
Occupation Architect, builder
Known for
Notable work Empire State Building

William Aiken Starrett, Jr. (June 14, 1877 – March 26, 1932) was an American builder and architect of skyscrapers. He was best known as the builder of the Empire State Building in New York City (1930–31).

Early life

Starrett was born in Lawrence, Kansas, on June 14, 1877.[1] His father was William Aiken Starrett Sr., a Kansas minister.[2] When he was a boy the family moved to the Chicago area, where he received his schooling.[3] His mother, Helen Martha (Ekin) Starrett, was a writer of many books and a teacher who founded the Starrett School for Girls in Chicago.[4] There were seven children in the family, five boys and two girls.[4] Starrett worked part-time in a wholesale grocery house when he was in his early teens.[5]

Mid life and career

Empire State Building

Starrett entered the University of Michigan in 1893. However, he had to leave his studies in 1895 to help the family financially. He immediately entered the construction field, joining his four brothers in companies which built skyscrapers.[6] Starrett also worked for Starrett & van Vleck in designing and constructing department store buildings in New York City. Ultimately he passed on this steel construction technology to Japan so they could design buildings to resist earthquakes.[7][8][9][10]

Starrett started his career with the George A. Fuller Company in 1898 as an office boy, working alongside his brother Paul, who was already employed there.[11] He left in 1900 and joined his brothers Theodore and Ralph at the Starrett, Thompson Company in 1901.[12][13] His brothers and Thompson left the company within a few years and Starrett became vice president of the company. Between 1910 and 1912, one of the New York City skyscraper projects the company did was the Woolworth Building.[14] In 1913 Starrett sold out his share of the company and joined his brother Goldwin at Starrett & van Vleck, architects of skyscraper department stores.[15]

Starrett served in World War I and supervised all U.S. government war construction as Chairman of the Emergency Construction Committee of the Council for National Defense.[16][17][18] He served in the Engineer Reserve Corps.[19][20] Just before World War I he entered army training and qualified for the rank of Major in the Engineer Officers' Reserve Corps. During the war he was assigned to the War Industrial Board and put in charge of overseeing all United States army construction work for war purposes.[21][22] He was promoted to Colonel and served in the Engineer Reserve Corps and Quartermaster Corps. He received several accolades and was honorably discharged on March 22, 1919.[19]

Starrett was president of the umbrella Starrett Corporation formed in 1922 and was the main motivator behind the real estate and building interests of the Starrett family.[13][23] He held the position for the rest of his life, until his death in 1932.[24] The family of builders consisted of his grandfather, four brothers, and two brothers-in-law. He was a principal officer of several companies associated with building approximately 200 notable buildings and skyscrapers in cities throughout the United States.[25]

The 1,250-foot (380 m) Empire State Building was built by Starrett's company in one year from 1930 to 1931. It was the tallest structure in the world at the time.[10][26][27][28][29]

Honors

In 1917 the University of Michigan awarded Starrett his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering nunc pro tunc, as if he had graduated in the class of 1897.[19][30] In 1931 he received an honorary degree of Doctor of Engineering from the same University.[19][31][32]

Memberships

Starrett was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Associated General Contractors of America.[32]

Personal life

Starrett and his wife, Eloise, had a daughter, Helen Ruth, and a son, David.[33]

Starrett suffered a series of apoplectic strokes and was gravely ill from January 19, 1932.[9][34] He died at his home in Madison, New Jersey, on March 26, 1932, at the age of 55.[1][7][33][35] Starrett's will provided an income to Eloise and the children for the rest of their lives from his substantial estate.[36]

Legacy

Starrett is remembered as building the tallest steel and concrete structures of his time as a new art form – the American skyscraper.[37][38][39] He was once nicknamed the "father of the skyscraper".[40]

Works

References

  1. 1 2 "Col. W. Starrett Dies In New Jersey". The Post-Crescent. Appleton, Wisconsin. March 26, 1932. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com . Col. Starrett's company built many of America's largest skyscrapers, including the Empire State Building, the world's tallest structure.
  2. ↑ Parton, Lemuel F. (November 16, 1931). "Who's News Today". The Post-Crescent. Appleton, Wisconsin. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com .
  3. ↑ McGraw 1932, p. 486.
  4. 1 2 "Useful Citizen Passes in Death in Mrs. Starrett". The Oregon Daily Journal. Portland, Oregon. December 17, 1920. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com .
  5. ↑ Buttenheim 1921, pp. 59–60.
  6. ↑ "Starrett, Empire Tower Builder, Stricken In East". The Sandusky Register. Sandusky, Ohio. March 27, 1932. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com . A nervous disorder halted the career that had directed the construction of approximately 200 notable buildings, including the Empire State Building.
  7. 1 2 "Builder of Empire State Dies; Age 55". Reading Times. Reading, Pennsylvania. March 28, 1932. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com .
  8. ↑ "Col. Starrett, Builder, Dies". Miami Daily News-Record. Miami, Oklahoma. March 27, 1932. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com . A nervous disorder which came upon him two months ago halted the career that had directed the construction of approximately 200 notable buildings, including the world's tallest structure, the Empire State Building. The influence of Colonel Starrett's building extended to the orient, where he introduced in Japan steel construction designed especially to resist earthquakes.
  9. 1 2 "Famous Construction Engineer Dies Friday". Greeley Daily Tribune. Greeley, Colorado. March 26, 1932. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com . Col. Starrett's company built many of America's largest skyscrapers, including the Empire State building, the world's tallest structure.
  10. 1 2 "Man Who Built World's Highest Structure Dies". Garrett Clipper. Garrett, Indiana. March 31, 1932. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com . Starrett's company built many of America's largest skyscrapers, including the Empire State Building, the world's tallest structure.
  11. ↑ Osgood 1932, p. 94.
  12. ↑ Microfilms 1967, p. 42.
  13. 1 2 Greenwood 2009, p. 90.
  14. ↑ Fenske 2008, pp. 168–170.
  15. ↑ United States War Dept 1919, p. 2530.
  16. ↑ Monograph 1919, p. 126.
  17. ↑ "Col. Starrett, Builder, Dies in New Jersey". La Grande Observer. La Grande, Oregon. March 26, 1932. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com .
  18. ↑ "Noted Army Builder Dies". The Vidette-Messenger. Valparaiso, Indiana. March 28, 1932. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com .
  19. 1 2 3 4 U of M 1931, p. 487.
  20. ↑ "Army and Navy News". The Washington Herald. Washington, District of Columbia. January 24, 1918. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com .
  21. ↑ "Famed Builder Goes To Rest". Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Fairbanks, Alaska. March 26, 1932. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com . He introduced steel designed to resist earthquakes in Japan and in this country built many of the largest skyscrapers, including the Empire State Building.
  22. ↑ "William Starrett Steel Wizard Dies". Medford Mail Tribune. Medford, Oregon. March 27, 1932. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com .
  23. ↑ Benardo 2006, p. 132.
  24. ↑ Forbes 1932, p. 248.
  25. ↑ "Rites Tomorrow For Col Starrett, Famous Builder". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. March 27, 1932. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com . A nervous disorder two months ago halted the career that had directed the construction of approximately 200 notable buildings, including the world's tallest structure, the Empire State Building.
  26. ↑ Encyclopedia Americana 1967, p. 299.
  27. ↑ McDonnald 1951, p. 296.
  28. ↑ "Skyscraper Completed in Record Time". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. May 3, 1931. p. 48 – via Newspapers.com . The Empire State Building – 102 stories high, if the top observation platform, 17 stories above the 85th floor is included in the estimate – was completed within a year from setting of the first column of the building, days ahead of the schedule, according to Col. William A. Starrett Brothers and Eken, inc. who built the structure.
  29. ↑ "Madison Man Built Empire State Building". The Chatham Press. Chatham, New Jersey. May 9, 1931. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com . Colonel William A. Starrett, former mayor of Madison, was the builder of the great Empire State Building, the tallest structure in the world.
  30. ↑ GCA 1921, p. 39.
  31. ↑ Tauranac 2014, p. 172.
  32. 1 2 Gothamite 1910, p. cxliii.
  33. 1 2 "W.A.Starrett, 55, Dies; Noted As Big Builder". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. March 26, 1932. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com . Col. William A. Starrett, who had charge of all army construction for war purposes in the World War and built the Empire State Building, died at his home last night.
  34. ↑ "Famous Army Colonel Dies". The Newark Advocate. Newark, Ohio. March 26, 1932. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com .
  35. ↑ "Noted U.S. Builder Dies Saturday". Hope Star. Hope, Arkansas. March 28, 1932. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com . He has built many of Americas' largest skyscrapers, including the Empire State Building the world's tallest structure.
  36. ↑ "Col. Sarrett Estate Bequeathed to Wife". The Madison Eagle. Madison, New Jersey. April 15, 1932. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com .
  37. ↑ "A Builder Passes". The Madison Eagle. Madison, New Jersey. April 1, 1932. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com . In this new art of the skyscraper, Colonel William A. Starrett was one of the foremost artists. From whatever angle he approaches New York, the traveler to that great city catches sight of Col. Starrett's most famous achievement long before he has entered the city limits. The Empire State Building, its topmost floors often obscured by clouds, is more than the tallest building in the world. It is concrete evidence of engineering and architectural progress that would have seemed impossible 50 years ago.
  38. ↑ "110 Story Building". Lebanon Daily News. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. January 21, 1929. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com .
  39. ↑ "Writes Book on building". The Madison Eagle. Madison, New Jersey. February 1, 1929. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com .
  40. ↑ "Predicts Skyscraper Shift From Manhattan to Brooklyn". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. March 22, 1931. p. 44 – via Newspapers.com . The father of the skyscraper, Col. William A. Starrett...
  41. ↑ Willis 1998, p. 12.
  42. ↑ "Writes book on building – Colonel Starrett Publishes Interesting Work on Skyscrapers". The Madison Eagle. Madison, New Jersey. February 1, 1929. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com .
  43. ↑ Foster, Helen Herbert (June 16, 1929). "New York Skyline and A Man Who Helped Trace It". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. p. 96 – via Newspapers.com .

Sources

  • Benardo, Leonard (1 July 2006). Brooklyn By Name. NYU Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-9149-3.
  • Buttenheim (1921). Contractors and Engineers Monthly. Buttenheim-Dix Publishing Corporation.
  • Encyclopedia Americana (1967). The Encyclopedia Americana. Americana Corporation. William Aiken Starrett (Lawrence, 1877–1932), builder of the Empire State Building...
  • Fenske, Gail (August 2008). The Skyscraper and the City: The Woolworth Building and the Making of Modern New York. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-24141-8.
  • Forbes (1932). Professional Architectural Monthly. Forbes, Limited.
  • GCA (1921). Bulletin – General Contractors Association. The Association.
  • Gothamite (1910). The Gothamite. University of Michigan Club of New York. Colonel William A. Starrett, '97E, builder of the Empire State Building, was recently nominated for president of the Associated General Contractors of America. Last summer at the 1931 Commencement at Ann Arbor, Mr. Starrett who is a member of our club, received the honorary degree of Doctor of Engineering.
  • Greenwood (2009). Icons of American Architecture. Greenwood. ISBN 978-0-313-34207-3.
  • McDonnald, Alexander Hopkins (1951). The Encyclopedia Americana. Americana Corporation. William Aiken Starrett (Lawrence, 1877–1932), builder of the Empire State Building in New York and other famous buildings...
  • McGraw (1932). Engineering News Record. McGraw-Hill.
  • Microfilms (1967). National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. University Microfilms.
  • Monograph (1919). Monograph.
  • Osgood (1932). American Architect and Architecture. J. R. Osgood & Company.
  • Tauranac, John (21 March 2014). Empire State Building. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-7109-4.
  • U of M (1931). The Michigan Alumnus. University of Michigan Libraries. UOM:39015071179470. Colonel William A. Starrett, B.S.C.E.'97, D.Eng. (hon.) '31, who built the Empire State Building and a good many others.
  • United States War Dept (1919). War Expenditures: Camps. U.S. Government Printing Office.
  • Willis, Carol (1998). Building the Empire State. W.W. Norton. ISBN 978-0-393-73030-2.
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