Irven D. and Irven G. McDaniel
Irven D. McDaniel (1894-1960) was an architect based in Arkansas and Tennessee and Irven G. McDaniel was his son and also an architect who practiced in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The senior Irven was born Irven Donald McDaniel on April 14, 1894, in Holland, Faulkner County, Arkansas. He married Camille Lewis, of Arkansas, in 1920. The junior, Irven Granger McDaniel was the third of their four children. He was born in Tennessee but grew up mostly in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He served as a pilot with the Royal Air Force during World War II  and was taken as a prisoner of war. Imprisoned in Stalag Luft III in Poland, he and some of his experiences have been said to be a model for Virgil Hilts, the Steve McQueen character in the movie "The Great Escape". Granger reportedly escaped multiple times and came to be called the "cooler king", for being sent to the cooler upon recapture. Unlike Virgil Hilts, Granger was able to study architecture from a Polish architecture professor also imprisoned. To be adapted: "He practiced in Pine Bluff, Jefferson County, Arkansas in the early 1920s. In 1922, he formed a professional partnership , Seig and McDaniel Architects, with Richard L. Seig in Memphis, Tennessee. The firm is credited with designing Walrow, a well-known Tudor revival mansion and the Almadura Apartment Building both in Memphis. McDaniel was practicing in Hot Springs by 1930, he designed a number of buildings including the Perry Plaza Court, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Irven married Arkansan Camille Lewis in 1920. Together, the couple had four children Virginia, Caldwell, Irven and Daly. Their third child, Irven Granger McDaniel (1923-1978) also was an architect. During World War II, Irven G. McDaniel served as a  pilot with the Royal Air Force and was taken as a prisoner of war. Upon his return to the United States, Irven G. practiced architecture in Hot Springs, designing the historically significant Van Lyell House and the Jack Tar Hotel and Bathhouse (AKA Garland Towers)." Irven D. McDaniel's works include: Irven G. McDaniel's works include: Irven D. McDaniel died March 16, 1960, and his remains are buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Garland County, Arkansas. Irven G. McDaniel eventually retired and went to Boca Raton, Florida. Papers of Irven D. McDaniel are held in special collections holdings of the  University of Arkansas. Sites which may possibly be related include: