Evening star., 1954-05-26
Coemmerer to Close Career
Of 32Y Years in Fine Arts Post
Navy Ex-Officer
Named Successor
On Commission

DR. H. P. .Caemmerer, author
and outstanding authority on
Washington's history and de-
velopment, will retire on June
"a after 80 years service as Sec
retary Of the Fine Arts Commis-
sion.
He will be succeeded, officials
disclosed today. by Linton r.
Wilson. So, an architectural de-
signer. MIR Wilson has been a
Defense Department employe
since January, when he left the
Navy as a commander with IL
years service.
Before his Navy service, Mr..
Wilson was employed for Is
years with the New York archi-
tectural firm of Voorhees,,
Walker, Foley and Smith. He
resides at 3611 Prospect avenue
NV.
AS administrative officer and
secretary, DR.. Caemmerer has
played a major role for more
than three decades in policy and
operations of the seven-man
commission that rules on plans
affecting national characteristics
of the Capital City.
Looks to Greater City.
A quiet, retiring student Of
Washington, DR.. Caemmerer said
he looked forward to the devel-
opment of "a great metropolitan
city, along lines laid down in
years past
At a luncheon in his honor
this week, sponsored by the
Washington Board of Trade. he
predicted the Metropolitan Area
will double it's present popula-
tion-to a growth of 3.5 million
people-within the next CEN
tury.
Such a transition, he said,
will require three new bridges
linking the District and Vir-
ginia. underground subways-
possibly beneath Constitution
and independence avenue and
Seventeenth street N.W.-and
- ,1xy 4%1nnv Ahonn
Sees Opera House Needed.
Even if they are decades
away" he said, these things
are going to have to come" On
the cultural side, he added, one
of the great needs is for an
opera house.
For the immediate future, he
said, high priority must be given
to demolition of unsightly tenn
porary buildings which are mar
ring the city and threaten to
become dangerous fire traps.
A native of Illinois. DR.. Caem-
merer came to- Washington as
a postal employe and joined the
Fine Arts group as a clerk in
1919. He was made secretary
three years later.
In addition to numerous mag
azine articles and lectures on
Washington, his major literary
works include: Washington, the
Nations Capital" 1882: "a Man
ual on the Origin and Develop
ment of Washington" 1899;
Historic Washington" 1948,
and "The Life of Pierre Charles
L'Enfant," 1851.
Urges L'Enfant Celebrs ton.
DR.. Caemmerer noted that
August 2 will be the 200th ami
versary of the birth of L'Enfant,
and urged that a special COM
mittee be formed to develop an
appropriate observance of the
birth date Of the Federal City's |
original planner.
A past president of the CO.
lumbia Historical Society, Dr..
Caemmerer is a trustee of Amer
ican University and a member
Of many national art groups. He
has a masters degree from the
George Washington University, !
bachelor Of laws degree from |
the Georgetown University Law |
School and a doctor of philos-
ophy degree from American
University.
DR.. C4emmerer said that. after
his retirement, he plans to take |
about year and rest up," after |
which he may continue his writ
ing. He lives at lit South
Alfred street. Alexandria,