Evening star., 1934-05-18
CASS GILBERT DIES;
NOTED ARCHITECT
Famed as Father of Sky.
scraper-DeSigned
Buildings Here.
Nv the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Cass Gilbert, architect and father
Of the American skyscraper, who re-
Rarded his design for the new Su.
preme Court Building here as one OF
the outstanding achievements OF a
long career, died yesterday moru'ng
In Brockenhurst. Hampshire. Eng
land, where he had gone on a busi-
ness and pleasure trip. Wcrd OF his
death was received In New York oy
the Associated Press last night.
In addition to the Grec'an Supreme
Court structure. which Is now nearing
completion at a cost of $10.000o 900,
Mr.. Gilbert designed several other
buildings in Washington, notably the
Treasury Annex and the classic
United States Chamber Of Commerce
Building.
Death Unexpected.
Mr.. Gilbert sailed for England on
April l3 with his wife. Mrs. Julia
Finch Gilbert, and their daughter,
Mrs. Charles Morgan Post. He was
in excellent health at that time, but
a fortnight later associates in his New
York Office were informed he was III
and would go to the south Of England
for a rest. Death came Unexpectedly
as the result of heart attack. Mr.
Gilbert was "a years old.
AS the designer of the Woolwortc
Building, at time when the sky
scraper marked a radical departure
from conventional forms of COM
mercial structures, Mr.. Gilbert came
to be regarded as a great creative
artist whose mediums were steel and
stone. Scores of noted and beautiful
structures throughout the country are
monuments to his talent and fore
sight.
Honored by Presidents.
President Theodore Roosevelt made
Mr.. Gilbert chairman of the Council
of Fine Arts. President Taft ap.
pointed him to the Commission OF
Fine Arts and President Wilson re-
appointed him. 1t was Chief Justice
Taft. who, as head of the United
States Supreme Court Commission,
selected Mr. Gilbert's firm of archi-
tects to design the new Supreme
Court Building.
Mr.. Gilbert made frequent inspec-
ton trips once work was begun on
the structure, and only two months
ago went over the building here. De-
tails of the construction. however,
were left to a junior member of Mr..
Gilbert's firm.
The Gilberts had planned to sail
c. &ha TT1itad StQtlS
Mr. Gilbert was known as a mill
tant nationalist. He defended Amer
lean artists as the equal of Europeans,
and his own water colors were judged
equal if not superior to foreign con-
temporary work In this field.
Designed WooIworth Building.
In addition to the Woolworth Build
ing in New York-the worlds tallest
for many years-Mr Gilbert designed
numerous other notable structures. in
cluding the State Capitol buildings of
West Virginia, Minnesota and Arkan-
sas, the New York Custom House and
the George Washington Memorial
Bridge across the Hudson River.
His designing Of the Woolworth
Building was regarded by many OF
his profession as an architectural
lark. For Frank w. Woolworth. who
had to pay for it, the project was
looked '-pon as a pleasant folly.
But when President Wilson touched
a button that bathed the 60-story
skyscraper in electric light the night
of April "a, 1918. marking its COM
pletion. Gilbert was lauded as q
pioneer.
Lauded for Work.
"Mr. Gilbert has expressed the
commercialism of the Nation in lines
of beauty" said F. Hopkinson Smith,
the POSTMASTER at dinner that night
in the architects honor.
He has shown us that building
can be beautiful while retaining all
its usefulness; he has shown us that
ideaism is compatible with efficiency
Born in GAINESVILLE, Ohio. he at
tended public schools at st. Pau
and then studied architecture at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
He married Miss Julia T. Finch OF
Milwaukee, Wis, November 20. 1897
and they had three children. Emily
F. Gilbert and Cass Gilbert, jr., re-
ceived word of their fathers death al
the family home here.