Born:
5/2/1891,
Died:
10/18/1972
Walter S. Antrim was born in the Frankford section of Philadelphia, the son of Harry Budd and Elizabeth (King) Antrim. He graduated from Central High School in Philadelphia in 1909 and received his B.S. in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania in 1915. Following graduation, Antrim entered the U. S. Naval Academy Submarine School in Groton, CT, and subsequently served on submarine duty during World War I in the Pacific. When Antrim returned to Philadelphia in 1919, he briefly worked as a draftsman for Rankin & Kellogg (August to September, 1919) before joining J. L. Conarroe in the firm of Antrim & Conarroe, a firm which operated from the end of 1919 until 1921. From 1922 to 1929 Antrim worked for Thomas, Martin & Kirkpatrick. Then followed periods of employment as designer forJohn T. Windrim (1929-1933) and Davis & Dunlap (1933-1939). In 1939 Antrim succeeded Georgina Yeatman as Director of the Philadelphia Department of Architecture, a position which lasted until Antrim re-enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942 to serve in World War II. He returned to Philadelphia in 1945 and associated with Walter Thomas in a firm which lasted until Thomas's death in 1948. Until 1957 Antrim was associated with Charles G. Etter, but he then worked alone until his retirement at age 75.
Walter Antrim served as a design critic for both the University of Pennsylvania and the T-Square Club Atelier from 1927 to 1929. He was a member of the T-Square Club, the Philadelphia Chapter of the AIA, and the national AIA, which he joined in 1927. Other memberships included the Philadelphia Art Alliance, the Mask & Wig Club, Delta Upsilon fraternity, the Church of the Good Shepherd in Germantown, and the Savoy Co., where he sang tenor and acted as stage manager.
Written by
Sandra L. Tatman.
Clubs and Membership Organizations
- Philadelphia Art Alliance
- American Institute of Architects (AIA)
- Philadelphia Chapter, AIA
- T-Square Club
- Mask and Wig Club
- Undine Barge Club
School Affiliations
- University of Pennsylvania
- U.S. Submarine School ( CT)
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