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BY B A R R Y M O O R E

to ; she had read thai the recently opened Rice Institute offered a free education to qualified young peo- ple, and she wanted her son to he one of them. Sixteen years later, after being graduated from San Jacinto High, Morns applied to Rice as an engineering hopeful. When cold that all the engineering slots had been filled, he agreed to shift his attention to architecture, where there S.I. Morris llrli) will) hit first portnert, F. Tctboll Wilton (tsnfer) and B. W. (tain. In 1952, S.I. Worrit designed litis (Inn, madetnitt house at Bistonncl and Waverly (ourl lor hit family. were more places avail- able. Engineering's loss fB HI • F~T~1IMK' .Hid again over the years, Seth was Houston architecture's gain. At Rice, Morris began making the friendships and connections that would B \M | \ | m M was a hous Irwien buil(S.I.t ) iMorrin the slat hae s 1950 insistes adt ththae i serve him so well in the future. One of mtpP H j | l l ^ F | ^| ^ q ^ F corne -A. r o [IKf - Bissonnet and Waver I y Court. those triendships was with K Talbott Wil- lor those who know S.l. Morris just from son, who eventually became his partner; the mammoth civic projects his architec- another was with burns Roeusch. an engi tural firm has been involved with, projects necring major who hired Morris as a ranging from the Astrodome to lhe designer following Morris' 1935 gradua- Wortham Theater ( enter to the I louston tion from Rice. A , that may sound like a star- Houston in the late 1930s was a good tling admission. Hut for those more famil- place for an ambitious young architect. iar with Morris, the remark is telling in a Among Morris' first jobs was a new different way. It points not just to Morris* house in Courrlandt Place for banker modesty in the midsl of success, hut also William Kirkland. (Years later, when Kirk- slyly makes the point that in architecture, land was among those influencing the PRACTICE design is only part of the equation. You selection of the architects for the also have to get the commission, and get a Astrodome, this would prove to be a criti- building erected. And o n those fronts, S.l. cal alliance.) The Depression was reced- THE C A R E E R OF S . I . M O R R I S Morris has had few peers in Houston ing, and Houston's population was over the last half century. expanding, mainly because ol growth in In some ways, Morris has been Hous- the oil and petrochemical industry. 1 lous- S.I, Morrii' oltite. If 76. ton's great enabler where architecture is ing was in short supply, and the talented concerned. He brought together clients. and energetic new firm of F. Talbott Wil- designers, and builders, and in the process son and Irwin Morris, founded in 1938, created an architectural firm thai changed was ready to do something about that. the way 's largest city looks. At the Their first commission was the Park Lane same time, he and his partners acted as a Apartments on the edge ol Hermann post-graduate school for two generations Park, and numerous residential comnns of architects. The roll call of those sions followed. About this time land who have passed through Morris* firm developer T.l . I rain engaged the young includes many of I louston's most success- men to design a series of houses in his ful practitioners. And while doing all new Garden Oaks Subdivision, and also this, Morris found tune to actively sup- helped them win a contract in 1940 to port his university, his community, and design the Garden Oaks School. profession, and, with his wife Suzanne, |ust prior to World War II, Morris and raise a large, talented, and loving family. Wilson embarked on a development S.l. Morris* is not your typical architectur- scheme of their own. In C rest wood, a al success story. preit\ area on the east side of Memorial Morris was born into a hardworking Park, the architects bought eight lots, family of modest means in Madisonville, designed and built houses for them, and Texas, on September I, 1914, When he then sold the houses to friends. T'ollowing s\as two years old, his mother announced the war, the Mrm again tried building that the family was packing and moving and selling homes, this time in Pine Shad- W i II I f -£i T I-: n At

Seth Irwin (S.I.) Morris

client Bill kirklaiul saw to it that Wilson, ALUMNI FIRMS OF S.I. MORRIS Morris, Crain is: Anderson was hired. The project entailed all the planning lor Adams Architects, Inc. the Astrodome — a challenging effort Browne Penland McGregor Architects, Inc. that required dealing with unique archi- Pleas Doyle Associates tectural, structural, and mechanical prob Leslie K. Elkins Architects leins. The project lasted seven years and Philip Ewald Architecture, Inc. was so stressful for Morris that he Gabriel Achitects stopped playing goll to avoid the relent Griffin Architects, Inc. , less questions from other goiters about Hall/Barnum Architects the success of this new building. Fairly Dennis R. Hancock into the project, eldest son I'eter asked, Jackson & Ryan Architects "Dad, how far will we have to move R. C. Johnson Architects

$.1, Morrii (Ihird from M l ) exominflf a model of the Muieum of Fine Arte Brown Pavilion in 1971 wilh, from M l lo righl, Earl when the Dome falls down?" But of Kendall/Heaton Associates, Inc. Pierion, Benjomin Woodson, Alexander K. Mdonohan, Edward Retort, Mrs. George R. Brown, John Beth, ond muieum director Philippe course it didn't fall down. Instead, the Jim McReynolds Architects, Inc. de Monlebello. S.I. Morrit' firm provided local architectural services in collaboration with design architect Mies von del Rohe for this Astrodome resulted in the largest fee the Morns Architects addition lo the museum. linn ever earned, and was one of its most Alsey Newton Architect successful projects. William F Stern & Associates, Architects After 1970, when l.ugene ]•'.. Aubry Urban Architectural Group ows, n subdivision created by them mid ton Country ^ lub had decided to build a joined as design principal, the firm was Watkins Hamilton Ross Architects a lew friends. new clubhouse On the west side of town. engaged to design the I louston Public Willis Bricker & Cannady, Architects though World War II brought a halt Wilson, Morris & Crain were selected as Library, the First Baptist Church, the Uni- Wilson Architectural Group, Inc. to bust IRAS .is Morris and Wilson entered architects along with 1 lannlton Brown, versity of ! louston Clear Lake campus, The Wingfield - Sears Group, Inc the service, with Morns going behind not only because they were experts in the the Classell School, the First < n\ lower, enemy lines in mainland China lor Naval field, but also because Morris sent a per- and the Worrham Theater Center. The MORRIS ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTS Intelligence, u did have one positive sonal letter to everyone he knew in the 1970s also saw Morris* greatest civic result: it resulted in Morris' meeting club asking for his or her support. Morris energies devoted to the Museum of lane Houston Country Club (1957) with Hamilton Suzanne Kibler of Columbus, Ohio. They admits that the one crucial turning point Arts, Houston; Rice University; the Hous- Brown married late in I94 V lor the linn was this commission. As he ton Parks Board; the American Red First City National Bank Building (1960) A iter a distinguished wartime career, understated, "When you build a club, Cross; the Boy Scouts of America; the in association with Skidmore, Owings Morris rejoined Wilson and they added a vou get to know a lot of people who Center for the Retarded; and numerous & Merrill new partner, B.W, Grain. The postwar run things." other philanthropies. Prior to S.I. Morris' US Post Office 11962) housing shortage meant that couples with And the big new commissions started retirement from what became Morris Astrodome (1965) with Lloyd, Morgan & kids or pets weren't wanted in mosl to come: dormitories at the University of Architects, the firm had moved beyond Jones 1 apartment complexes, so in 1947, Morns Texas; 1 lans/en. Baker, Will Rice, and Houston and [exas to design such major Electric Tower (1968) and his partners built their own at the I ovctt colleges at Rice University; the urban buildings as the Wytidhani Crcens- Houston Post Building (1970) comer of Yoakum and I tawthorne. ir {icrald I lines's residence and scores oi poitu, the Windsor Court Hotel in New- One Shell Plaza (1971) in association with was Houston's first coup apartment, and projects for his company; the Kelsey Orleans, and DuPom Center in Orlando. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill prouded living quarters lor the linn's l.eary Seybold Clinic; high-rise corporate It may seem odd that a man who got Two Shell Plaza (1972) in association with partners, a few friends, and some office headquarters for Southwestern Bell, Texa- into architecture school by accident Skidmore, Owings & Merrill associates. The Morrises moved in the co, and I louston lighting and Power: the ended up senior partner in one of the One (1972) d.n their oldest son, 1'eter, was born. University of Texas Medical branch Basic largest and most respected firms in the KPRC Channel Two Studio (1972) Daughter Maria arrived in 1949, and son Sciences Building; the University of Hous- region. But it may have been that very Tin Houses (1974) David soon after. So in 1952 Morris pur- ton t ollege ol Education; the Houston chance beginning that sparked Morris' Central Library Building, Houston Public chased a lot on the corner .11 Bissonnet Post building; and the Bank of Houston. success. Among other things, it helped Library (1975) and Waverly Court for a new house — In 1958, shortly after Ralph Anderson him be appreciative of talented peers such Place (1976) in association with and engaged in what he would later became a principal in Wilson, Morris, as Talbott Wilson. Unlike them, he never Johnson/Burgee Architects claim was his only actual design work. Crain & Anderson, the firm was selected quite saw himself as a designer who had One (1977) with Caudill (Children I.aura and |ohti arrived as associated architect with Skidmore answered a calling. And perhaps .is ;i Rawlett Scott and 3D/lnternalional S i after.) Owings and Merrill for the First City result, Morns perfected his skills as the Texaco Office Building (1977) In the late 1940s and early 1950s, National Bank Building at Main and one who brought in the challenging pro- First Baptist Church of Houston (1976) Wilson, Morris &: Crain became known Lamar. Board Chairman Judge James A. jects, and the one who set the lone for Alfred C. Glassell, Jr.. School ol Art 11978) as club specialists. Besides projects in l'.lkuis Sr., a native of lluntsville, liked the highest standards ol design and deliv- One Riverway (1978) Lake Charles and l.ongview, the firm the fact that Morris was born in nearby er \ of services. Brown & Root Southwest Houston Office 1 designed the Forest Club in 194 '. That Madisonville. Morris evaluated the pro- S.I. Morris hail the skills and intuition Building (19801 same year lhe> designed a house lor ject as follows; "What I learned was how that could have made him a success in Three Riverway 119801 Ernie Cockrell, a lifelong friend and the) did a job in the big city, how thc\ any number ol fields. It is the great for- (1981) schoolmate, By 1953, the 1 louston Club did their production." Many profitable tune of Houston that he chose the profes- lnnonthePark(1981| had moved to a new building, and Wil- associations with out ol town architects sion of architecture. No one else has bet- Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture son, Morris JSc Crain — with the backing were to follow. ter shown how to build a large, prof- building, University of Houston, in asso- ol board member Cockrell — received When the ! louston Sports Association itable, and talented firm — and along the ciation wilh Johnson/Burgee Architects the commission for the new interiors. By won a National League Baseball Fran- way change a city's face. • Transco Tower (1983) in association with the end of the year, the prestigious I lous- chise in I9f,|, treasurer and old Morns Johnson/Burgee Architects (1987)