George Dahl:

An Inventory of his Papers, 1916-1991

Biographical Sketch of George Dahl (1894-1987)

George Dahl, one of Dallas' most prominent architects, was born in Minneapolis in 1894, of Norwegian immigrants. He learned to speak English in school at age 7. After graduating from college with a bachelor's degree in architecture from the University of Minnesota, he received his Masters from Harvard in 1923. In 1926, he began work for the Herbert M. Greene Co. in Dallas, Texas. He became a partner in Greene's firm in 1928, and the name of the firm was changed to Herbert M. Greene, LaRoche, and Dahl and later LaRoche and Dahl after Greene passed away.

In 1943, Dahl founded his own company, George Leighton Dahl, Architects and Engineers, Incorporated. It was during his time that his career reached soaring heights. Upon his retirement in 1973, he had produced some 3,000 projects throughout the country that are estimated to be worth $3 billion. After 1973, Dahl continued to make appearances at architectural events in Dallas and lived to see his most famous project, Fair Park (1936), fastidiously restored and named a National Historic Landmark.

Dallas buildings that he designed include the Methodist Hospital, the Earle Cabell Federal Building, Owen Fine Art Center at Southern Methodist University, The Dallas Morning News building, Jesuit High School, the Dallas Public Health Center, Mrs. Baird's Bakery, and Sears on Ross Avenue. Outside Dallas, he designed 26 buildings for the University of Texas at Austin, 32 stores for Sears, Roebuck and Co. and 15 prisons for the Texas Department of Corrections. His firm also worked on projects for the Federal government, the Navy, the Bureau of Yards and Docks, Army Engineers, General Services Administration, and the U.S. Air Force. Other works include banks, office buildings, churches, department stores, schools, hospitals, stadiums, and shopping centers. He also designed, managed, and owned Gold Crest Apartments, the apartment building in which he lived until his death in July of 1987.

Dahl was active in professional organizations. He was one of the founders of the Texas Society of Architects and served as the Society's second President. Dahl was also President of AIA Dallas in 1959, and was elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects. He was admired by the people who worked with him. David Braden, who was a partner in the firm for which Dahl was consultant after his retirement, admiringly summed up the true legacy of his mentor, "While the public will remember his buildings, his professional colleagues will remember him as an innovator and organizer.... He spent most of his professional life pioneering activities which are now common in the profession, but which were unheard of or strenuously resisted by his colleagues at the time."

Dahl, who was survived by his wife Joan, was an active contributor to the Dallas community as well as the skyline. He provided leadership and support for numerous Dallas organizations including the Hella Temple Shrine, Louis Preister Masonic Lodge, and Scottish Rite, and the Rotary Club.

Scope and Content of the collection

Creative works, correspondence, printed material, photographs, financial documentation, works of art on paper, audio recordings, and a scrapbook, document the life and work of architect, George Dahl. The material has been arranged into four series: Personal Papers, Professional Papers, Office Records and Project Records. The Personal Papers contain records about the life and activities of Dahl. Of note is George Dahl's correspondence and sketches to friends in the 1980's which he terms "dazzlers," and a scrapbook created by Dahl's wife, Joan, documenting the last decade of his personal life. The Professional Papers contain records related to Dahl's activities in the architectural profession. The Office Records series is primarily records created by Dahl and his company, Dahl Architects and Engineers Inc. (1948-1973). The Project Records series are largely project files, and includes photographs and drawings.

Restrictions

Policies Governing Use and Access

This collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using archival materials. As all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site, advance notice of at least three working days is required for retrieval. Certain items may require additional time for flattening or humidifying before they can be viewed. Access is by appointment only. Please contact the archives' reference staff for further information.

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasions of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person).

The Alexander Architectural Archives operate in accordance with applicable federal or state laws and regulations, providing unrestricted access to university records not covered by state and federal right to privacy acts.

The Alexander Architectural Archives, The University of Texas Libraries, and The University of Texas at Austin, assume no responsibility for infringement of literary property rights and copyright or for liability to any person for defamation or invasion of privacy that results from a researcher's use of collections.

Researchers agree to indemnify and hold harmless The University of Texas at Austin, and their officers, employees, and agents from and against all suits, claims, actions, and expenses arising out of use of collections held by the libraries. Please alert staff if anything inappropriate is found during research.

Copyright interests in this collection may not have been transferred to the University of Texas. Researchers assume full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply. Additionally, the public use of material must be cited. See citation information below.

Related Material

Administrative Information

Citation

George Dahl papers, Alexander Architectural Archives, University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin

Processing information

Sarah Hardie and Jill Wood, Fall 1999

Arrangement and finding aid edited by Donna Coates, April 2009

Other Finding Aids

References to works by George Leighton Dahl

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.