Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1907-01-07
INSTITUTE
OF ARCHITECTS
Observing the Fiftieth Anni-
versdry OF Its Birth Today
at Washington.

Washington. ID. c.. Jan. THE
American Institute of Architects is
observing the fftieth anniversary of
its birth i'm the octagon house here
today. Invitations were extended to
kindred societies of art, archaeology
and science with the result that over
1000 delegates from all states in the
union are in attendance The old
Octagon house. the headquarters of
the institute where the convention is
being held was designed and built In
1898 by DR.. William Thornton. the
architect of the national capitol, and
was occupied as the executive man
sion for some time by President John
Adams, Frank Miles Day the presi-
dent of the institute. delivered the
annual address and pointed out that
this was the only representative nat
ional society of architects in the Uni
ted States, its membership being be-
tween 500 and 1000 and having
members in all the prominent cities
In the country. The institute he said.
had accomplished much for the good
of art as the Tarsney act. under
which many government buildings
are now under course of construc-
tion was enacted through its efforts
1t initiated the movement for sys-
tematic Improvement of cities in this
country and secured the appointment
of "A park commission to report on
the development of Washington.
Through its efforts the remodelling of
the white house and the extension OF
the capitol on lines which would
have destroyed their beauty were
prevented, IL having been the inten-
tion of the authorities to improperly
locate the agricultural building. The
institute aided materially i'm the es-
Enlistment of the American academy
at Rome, "A postgraduate school in
architecture, printing, sculpture. and
music and i'm other branches has al
ways helped with willing hand.
The principal guest at todays pro-
.ceedings was Sir William Astor Webb.
There will be reception in his hon
or in the Corcoron art gallery tomor-
row night when he will be presented
with the first gold medal issued by
the American Institute of Architects.
for distinguished services To architec-
ture. Sir Astor Webb is the foremost
member of the profession in England
and one of the most eminent of hv-
liE dlhillAtNAS. ne II - llltHlbNt VI
the Royal academy, professor of
architecture in London university.
chairman OF the board of architec-
tural education In London, and has
erected more important public build
ings than any other man in Europe.
He designed the national memorial
to Queen Victoria and Albert mu-
scum, the Royal college OF science.
the new Admiralty, the new war Of
flee building, the Imperial institute
I'm London. and other conspicuous
works He has built many churches
also and has restored many old and
historic ones, among them that of 81.
Bartholomew the Great, in Smithfeld,
London. He came To America espec-
tally Ia attend the meeting of the in
sttute and met with a great ovation
A bronze tablet to the hfty architects
who founded the society in 1861 will
be unveiled in the Octagon house at
ter the annual banquet Two OF the
original founders of the institute Stilt
remain after hfty years of profession
al life. viz: Leopold Eldlilz OF New
York. and Charles BabCock, emeritus
professor Cornell university. Both
are present today.