Mr. Bruce McCarty

Bruce McCarty, FAIA (born December 28, 1920) was founder and senior designer (retired 2010) at McCarty Holsaple McCarty Architects of Knoxville, Tennessee. During a career that has spanned more than a half-century, he had designed some of the city's iconic landmarks, and had been the city's most dedicated champion of Modern architecture. Buildings designed or co-designed by McCarty include the Lawson McGhee Library, Knoxville City County Building, University of Tennessee Humanities Complex, Clarence Brown Theatre, and University of Tennessee Art and Architecture Building, which he co-designed with his son Doug, the Knoxville waterfront, the Bank of America building and the Ijams Nature Center. McCarty was also the Master Architect for the 1982 World's Fair. Biography Early life McCarty was born in South Bend, Indiana, the third of four sons to Earl H. and Hazel B. McCarty. Bruce McCarty was raised in Kenosha and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Earl McCarty was president of the Nash Motor Company during the 1930s. McCarty attended Princeton University in the early 1940s, where he studied sculpture under noted sculptor and boxer, Joe Brown. Following the outbreak of World War II, he left Princeton and joined the US Army Air Force. He first arrived in Knoxville for military training in 1943, and met his wife of 67 years, Julia Elizabeth Hayes on a blind date. He was later stationed in California as a P-38 pilot. On April 5, 1945 McCarty married Elizabeth Hayes of Knoxville in Santa Rosa, California and they returned to Knoxville. They have three children; Bruce Hayes McCarty married to Hope Kahler of Reston, VA, Douglas Hayes McCarty married to Jane Chambers of Knoxville and Sarah Elizabeth McCarty married to Richard Barrett of Santa Fe, NM; six grandchilden, Lane Elizabeth McCarty and Lauren Lee McCarty of Knoxville, Ryan Hayes McCarty of Shrewsbury, PA, Sarah McCarty Matzen of Hermosa Beach, CA, Roger Kahler II of Arlington, VA and Krissy Kahler of Reston, VA and six great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Stuart McCarty and wife Mary. His two older brothers predeceased him, Von McCarty and Macyln McCarty who is survived by his wife Marj McCarty. Early Architectural Career Home of Elizabeth and Bruce McCarty, Knoxville Following the war, McCarty worked as a draftsman at the Knoxville architectural firm, Barber & McMurry. He earned a BA from Princeton upon returning from the war in 1946. From 1947 to 1949, McCarty attended the University of Michigan and earned a Bachelor of Architecture Degree. During this period, he became fascinated with Modern architecture, especially the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. He, Elizabeth, and son Hayes spent several weeks during 1948 driving around Michigan and Wisconsin, seeking out houses designed by Wright. He also attended Wright's lectures, and visited Wright's home, Taliesin. Professional Experience Following graduation, McCarty returned to Knoxville to work as a designer and draftsman for the firm, Rutherford and Painter (later Painter and Weeks). McCarty became a partner in the firm in the mid 1950's. In 1953, McCarty designed a concrete house, sponsored by Southern Cast Stone and published in several national magazines. This led to several new clients involved in post-war medium priced housing, including the National Broadcasting Company, the Hotpoint Company, Union Carbide, Knox Homes, and the Zeckendorf Corporation. During the 1950s and 60s, the firm also designed a number of custom houses, in addition to commercial and public projects such as the Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum (in joint venture with Morton/Sweetser) and the Humanities Social Sciences Complex at the University of Tennessee. In 1965, McCarty and Robert Holsaple formed Bruce McCarty and Associates. In the following five years, the firm designed the Mountain View Garages, Broadway Baptist and Westminster Presbyterian Churches, Virgin Islands St. Croix Condominiums, the University of Tennessee Clarence Brown Theatre, and the University of Tennessee Communications and Administration Building. In 1970, McCarty and Associates merged with another Knoxville architectural firm to form McCarty Bullock Church and Holsaple. Partner Robert Church died in 1972 while serving as acting dean of the University of Tennessee School of Architecture, and the firm thus became McCarty Bullock Holsaple (MBH). MBH designed notable buildings such as the Knoxville City-County Building (a joint venture with Lindsay & Maples), and the UT Art and Architecture Building (co-designed by Bruce and Doug McCarty) chosen in a statewide competition over 53 other submissions. McCarty was chosen to be the Master Architect for the 1982 World's Fair, and his firm was not only responsible for the projects's overall design, but also designed many of the buildings, including the Tennessee Amphitheatre. In 1983, Bruce's son, Doug, who had been working with the firm since the mid-1970s, became president, and the firm changed its name to McCarty Holsaple McCarty. Under Doug's leadership, the firm's work over the subsequent three decades included UT's Hodges Library, UT's College of Law, and the new Knoxville Convention Center, Neyland Stadium, Maryville College Civic Arts Center and the restoration of the Tennessee Theatre. During this period, Bruce was senior designer of Knoxville's waterfront, Ijams Nature center and the expansion of McGhee Tyson Airport. Legacy and recognition In 1965, McCarty helped establish the University of Tennessee's College of Architecture. The school has since named the auditorium in its Art and Architecture Building for the McCarty family. McCarty was also instrumental in the establishment of the East Tennessee Community Design Center, which advises communities regarding design and planning issues. Honors • 1959 Certificate of Award for Outstanding Civic Activities from Gulf State AIA • 1964-68 Member of Chamber of Commerce Board (Knoxville TN) • 1964-74 Trustee of Dulin Art Gallery (Knoxville TN) • 1965-70 Board of Metropolitan Planning Commission (Knoxville TN) • 1969 Fellowship in AIA at Convention in Chicago (FAIA) • 1970 President of East Tennessee Chapter AIA • 1970-90 Who's Who in the United States • 1970 Proposes formation of the Community Design Center • 1975 Receives Mayor's Award for Outstanding Support of the Arts • 1975 Firm wins state wide competition for the design of the Art & Architecture Building at the University of Tennessee. Bruce & Doug McCarty; Co-designers • 1982 McCarty Bullock Holsaple receives Mayor's Award for 1982 World's Fair • 1982 President of Tennessee Society of Architects • 1986 Gold Medal from East Tennessee Chapter AIA • 2000 Volunteer of the Year Award from the University of Tennessee • 2004 Exhibition of the Architecture of Bruce McCarty at the University of Tennessee Ewing Gallery • 2011 Silver Medal from the University of Tennessee Faculty and Tau Sigma Delta of the College of Architecture and Design A celebration of Bruce's life will take place at 3:00 pm Tuesday January 8 at Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church. The family will receive friends following the service in the Barron Hall. Interment private. In lieu of flowers, it was Bruce's desire to make contributions to the East Tennessee Community Design Center (ETCDC) at 1300 N. Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37917 (865-525-9945) Arrangements by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel. Online condolences at www.rosemortuary.com