Evening star., 1953-03-28
Frederic A. DeIano,
Leader in District
Planning, Dies at 80

ASSA~Su ubu ~u~hsSu
Planning, Dies at 80
Continued From First Page)
bring order out of the Districts
mushrooming environs by CO.
ordinating the planning efforts
of State, county and Federal
agencies.
More than any other indi-
vidual, perhaps, Mr.. Delano was
leader in the far-sighted move
ment in the early 20s for Con-
gress to create the National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission and to pass the Capper-
Cramton Act. From 1924 to his
retirement in 1912 as chairman
of the former without pay, he
directed planning in Washington
toward definite objectives.
System Second to None.
Hand hand with early
years of city planning, the Fed
eral agency utilized money-bor-
rowing powers under the Cap
per-Cramton Act to acquire and
salvage from commercialization
thousands of acres of park and
playground areas. Today, the
park system is second to none
among world capitals and is still
growing.
Before World War I, Mr.. De-
lano had headed railroads in
the Middle West and was PROM
inent in finance. He was ap-
pointed by President Wilson to
a six-year term as a member
of the Federal Reserve Board in
1914 and designated its vice
chairman for two years. He re-
signed to enter the Army in
June, 1918, as a major in the
Engineer Corps. Assigned to the
staff of Brig. Gen. William w.
Atterbury. director general Of
transportation in France, he
was named deputy director of
transportation at Paris in Octo-
ber, 1918. He was discharged
as colonel on october 25, 1919.
While his chief interests were
widely divergent, it was as a
city and national planner that
Mr.. Delano devoted his zeal and
untiring efforts after World War
I. On the national scence he
was called by the late President
Roosevelt, to serve as chairman
of the National Resources Plan
ming Board IN 1884.
Helped Set Up Committee.
| Mr.. Delano's early interest in
Washington planning manifested
itself in helping organize the in
f1uential Committee of 100. on
the Federal City. The American
Civic and Planning Association,
now the American Planning As
ISOLATION. asked Mr.. Delano to
head such a committee to urge
Congress to give more intelligent
attention to the needs of the
National Capital.
Mr.. Delano was chairman OF
this committee for 20 years and
president also of the association
under which it is still function
ing. AS a result of the commit
tees work, Congress set up the
National Capital Park Commis-
sion in 1924, and two years later
made it the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission.
It was characteristic of Mr..
Delano that he seldom, if ever,
claimed personal credit for any
of the planning achievements
with which he was associated
Member of Chicago Group.
Mr.. Delano was a member of
the citizens group in Chicago
which sponsored the pioneer plan
for that city. It was during his
railroading days when he was
stationed there.
He also was on the scene in
New York when the new regional
plan for the metropolis was con-
ceived and made public in 1929
Mr.. Delano became chairman of
the New York Regional Planning
Committee, set up by the Rus
sell Sage Foundation.
Born in Hong Kong, China,
September 10. 1868, he was the
son of Warren and Catherine
Robbins Oyman) Delano. Both
his parents were from Massachu-
setts. The Delano fortune had
been made in the China trade,
Young Delano spent most of
his boyhood at the family home
in Newburgh, N. Y, a short dis
tance from Hyde Park. He went
to Harvard University, obtain
ing his A. B. degree in 1885.
Went West After Graduation.
Following his graduation he
went West and began railroad
ing in Colorado with the c. B,
& @. as an engineer. He entered
the Aurora Qll.) shops of the
same road somewhat later as an
apprentice machinist. In 1887 he
was made acting engineer of
tests and the same year was
placed in charge of rail inspec-
ton at Chicago.
/ Mr.. Delano married Matilda
A. Peasley on November %, 1888
She died IN 1943. They had two
children, the late Mrs. Alex
ander G.. Grant, and Mrs.
Houghteling.
The year after his marriage
he was made assistant to the
second vice president of the C
B. & O., superintendent OF
| L. -,