Biography

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Born: 10/23/1881, Died: 9/1971

Although William A. Dunn had a paripatetic career which carried him to offices in China and Malaya, his career as an architect was launched in Philadelphia. He was born in the Germantown neighborhood of the city, received his degree in civil engineering from the Pennsylvania Military College in 1904, and studied at the University of Pennsylvania from 1906 to 1908. He then worked in the office of Horace Trumbauer from 1908 to 1916. After this experience, however, Dunn moved to Shanghai, China, in the employ of the firm of Shattuck & Hussey, architects based in New Jersey. After working abroad, not only in China, but in Malaya, for several years, Dunn returned to Philadelphia in 1927 and entered the employ of Ritter & Shay. When that partnership was dissolved, he remained with Versus T. Ritter through 1938. Thereafter he worked for the Bendix Aviation Corporation from 1941 to 1946 and the Portable Products Corp. of Newburgh, N.Y. from 1945 to 1946. He retired in 1954, and at the time of the publication of George Koyl's American Architects Directory of 1962, Dunn was residing in Allentown, PA.

Dunn was an emeritus member of the national AIA and also a member of the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the AIA.

Written by Sandra L. Tatman.

Clubs and Membership Organizations

  • American Institute of Architects (AIA)
  • Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the AIA

School Affiliations

  • University of Pennsylvania
  • Pennsylvania Military Academy

Links to Other Resources

 

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