HERBERT FRANKLIN

FRANKLIN HERBERT M. FRANKLIN Herbert M. Franklin, 88, lover of architecture, gardening, music, and the well-chosen word, died at home in Chevy Chase, Maryland on November 16, 2021 after a long illness, surrounded by his loving and beloved family. Herb, a lawyer active in urban affairs, was instrumental in the founding of the National Building Museum. In 1977, he created the Committee for a National Museum of the Building Arts in response to concerns over the fate of the historic Pension Building in Washington, D.C. Others in the initial group included architect Chloethiel Woodard Smith, architectural historian Cynthia Field, and Washington Post architecture critic Wolf Von Eckardt. Herb drafted the legislation that led to the museum being chartered in 1980. The National Building Museum opened to the public in 1985, with Herb serving as its counsel and secretary during its formative years. He sat on its executive committee for 15 years, was chairman of the board in the late 1980s, instituted its honor award program, and became a lifetime founding trustee in 1990. A lifelong art lover, Herb was also a founder of the Washington Print Club in 1964. Herb graduated from Harvard College, where he led the college radio station, and Harvard Law School. He started his legal career in his hometown of Milwaukee, where he also led the Young Democrats and served as district representative to Congressman Henry S. Reuss. Interested in politics and city planning since boyhood, he came to Washington during the Kennedy administra- tion as a lawyer in the Housing & Home Finance Agency. He left federal service in 1965 to become director of the Urban Redevelopment Division of ACTION Inc. In 1967, he became the first development administrator for Middletown, Connecticut. But he couldn't stay away from the nation's capital for long, returning in 1968 to help create the National Urban Coalition, where he staffed a national task force on urban revitalization. In 1973, Herb resumed law practice in the real estate finance and development field with the law firm of Lane & Edson and, later, Kelley Drye & Warren. He left the practice of law in 1989 when George M. White, the Architect of the Capitol, asked him to become his executive officer. Combining Herb's lifelong interests in architecture, politics and gardens, this position was a fitting culmination of his career. He remained at the AOC until his retirement in 2001, serving as the project director for the design and construction of the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building, the renovation of the U.S. Botanic Garden, and the creation of the National Garden. In retirement, Herb enjoyed long summer vacations in the Berkshires, indulging his love of classical music at Tanglewood, where he had been a tour guide while in law school. He traveled with his wife Barbara to major cities of the world, and was actively involved in the governance of the Cosmos Club, including as its president in 2008-09. Herb is survived by his family: his wife of 61 years, Barbara Braemer Franklin; his daughter Marcia, of Boise, Idaho; son and daughter-in-law Jonathan and Sharon, of Bethesda, Maryland; son David, of Chicago, Illinois; and grandchildren Stephanie, Noah, Sophia, Norah, and Sarah. He was predeceased by his parents Bessie and Nathan and his brother Burton. The family would like to express its deep gratitude to Herb's caregivers for their devoted service. The family will receive friends on Saturday, November 20 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. and on Sunday, November 21 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the home of Jonathan and Sharon Franklin, 6009 Shady Oak Lane, Bethesda. A memorial service will be held at a later date; for more details, please email Barbara at HerbFranklinMemorial@gmail.com">HerbFranklinMemorial@gmail.com. If you wish to make a donation in Herb's memory, please consider the Herbert M. Franklin Fund for Teen Programs at The National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW, Washington DC 20001.A memorial service will be held at a later date; for more details, please email Barbara at HerbFranklinMemorial@gmail.com. If you wish to make a donation in Herb's memory, please consider the Herbert M. Franklin Fund for Teen Programs at The National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW, Washington DC 20001.