James W. Elmore will always be remembered as the founding dean of the College of Architecture at Arizona State University. Jim’s original intent in coming to Phoenix in 1948 was to work as an architect for Guirey & Jones. Jim came to ASU in 1949 to a non-existent department at then Arizona State College. He nurtured the department into a nationally prominent design school in less than 20 years. Jim was also instrumental in the design and development of the Rio Salado Project. After retirement from ASU, he continued to promote his design for aerial (elevated) transit and a city for Phoenix and greater Phoenix area.
Jim is a native of Nebraska receiving his BA degree in architecture in 1938 from the University of Nebraska. After spending six years with the US Army Corp of Engineers, he went back to school on the GI Bill and received his Masters in Architecture from Columbia University. This interview has Jim telling us about his road to becoming an architect, to becoming a teacher, developing the College of Architecture and his continued community involvement after retirement.
Details
- Elmore, James W.
- Stevenson, Pam (Interviewer)
- Agave Productions (Producer)
- Pam Stevenson, Editor; Manny Garcia, Videographer; June Payne, Chair Video History Project.
1. Introduction – 00:00:45 a. Early life – 00:01:37 b. Army Corps of Engineers – 00:02:25 c. Graduate School – 00:04:50 2. Move to Phoenix – 00:05:40 a. Guirey & Jones – 00:06:06 b. Impressions of Phoenix – 00:07:20 3. Start of his teaching career – 00:10:25 a. Industrial Arts program – 00:11:40 4. Architectural Complex developed – 00:13:56 5. Growth into a separate school – 00:15:10 6. Outstanding students – 00:16:44 a. Bennie Gonzales (noted Arizona architect) – 00:16:50 b. Frank Henry (worked with Frank Lloyd Wright) – 00:20:10 7. Program/students before accreditation – 00:22:00 a. Demographics of students – 00:23:45 8. Teaching fulltime – 00:25:20 a. College under Grady Gammage – 00:26:00 9. Frank Lloyd Wright – 00:28:50 a. Gammage Auditorium – 00:32:40 10. “Architectural Acrobatics” – 00:34:00 11. ASU Master Plan – 00:35:40 12. Key turning points in the growth of the College of Architecture – 00:37:40 a. Accreditation – 00:38:00 b. Key faculty – 00:38:50 c. What students remember about him – 00:41:00 13. Local projects involving the students – 00:42:00 14. Rio Salado Project – 00:45:40 15. ASU Changes through time – 00:59:00 a. Opinion on various architectural styles on campus – 01:02:00 16. Proposed design for the Arizona capitol building – 01:05:45 17. Solar house competition – 01:09:00 18. John Yellott – 01:11:50 19. Work after retirement – 01:14:45
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Elmore, James. Interview. 01 Nov. 2003. ASURA Video History Project. © Arizona Board of Regents. https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.I.35474