Texas State Association of Architects

pleader for either party.

Resolved. That the relations between architect and clients should be confidential and that no architect is worthy of employment who is unworthy of trust.

Resolved. That it is the [?] of this association that it is desirable that the architect in all cases superintend the work designed by him.

Resolved. That in cases where for special reasons, the architect does not superintend the work designed by him, his responsibility ceases with the delivery and acceptance of the plans, unless by expert testimony it can be proven that the plans were defective.

The foregoing resolutions and schedule of charges are adopted by the Texas State Association of Architects

Procedures of the fourth annual meeting of the Texas State Association of Architects held at Waco, Texas

January 15th & 16th 1889

Tuesday Jan 15

The fourth annual meeting of the Texas State Association of Architects was called to order at 2:30 P.M. and the [?] opened by the following address from the President W.C. Dodson

The Address.

Gentlemen of the Texas State Association of Architects:

In its annual course the day returns for us to meet in council in the interest of our profession; and in the beginning of our deliberations I return to you my thanks for the honor conferred in unanimously choosing me to the responsible position of president of our association. I assure you this token of your confidence is appreciated, and ask each of you to assist me in the proper discharge of the duties devolving upon me, and to bear with any mistakes which may occur, and as each of you have deep interess in all that concerns the profession, I ask that all will aid me in the discharge of every duty. to us, this meeting is of improtance, because questions are to come before us of high interest--of the association, coupled with intelligent understanding of our wants by each member, will enable us to so take counsel together and in such a manner that right conclusions will be reached, and an impetus given to the objects and aims of our association, which will terminate in the fruition of our hopes.

Three years have passed since our organization, and during that time much has been accomplished for our own benefit, and much also for the welfare of the people. Our social relations have become more intimate by better acquaintance with each other, and our influence has been increased with the people by educating them to a better apprehension of the duties and vocation of the architect, and of the necessity requiring the services of men skilled in the science and practice of building, and in that wants and needs of the citizen and the community. But while we have made some progress, we have hardly begun the work which lies before us. A vast field is to be traversed, if we accomplish anything worthy of ourselves in the achievement of the objects for which we are associated, and secure the benefit to ourselves to the people and to those who may follow in our footsteps, which we should work to accomplish, and bend all of our energies to attain, so in addressing you today I wish, in a cursory manner, to present the subjects in such a light that each of us mayt be stimulated to more zeal and have increased energies for the before us.

As evidence of what has been done before and since our organization in this state, I ask you to look back a few years and see the difference between private and public buildings, at a date not remote, and the present. The time is not far back in the past when intelligent men--intelligent in most of the affairs of business--were ignorant of the needs of an architect, and still more ignorant of his vocation and his duties. At that time few had thought but one man knew as much about building as another, or if there was any difference it was in favor of those who had never given the subject aq thought outside the primitive frontier dwelling or public building. As enlightened intelligence has increased this idea has been giving away, and as the light has dawned upon them its increasing rays give promise that ere long the old architects who have labored under great difficulties in developing a refined taste and working for the good of others, will reap the reward which their merit deserves. Indeed, so far has education proceeded in this line that we have instances where the architects of the state were not deemed of sufficient capacity to supply a felt want, but others from distant parts were secured to do the things which the advanced ideas of some suggested could not be done by those at home. Gentlement, there are some of you here today who have seen this, and who when you, first came to this state could not find a public building worthy the name nor a dwelling with convenience or construction which would meet the requirements for which it was erected. But see the change today! Asylums, colleges, a university, school buildings, churches, court houses, dwellings

and jails, which for architectural achievement under adverse circumstances, will compare favorably with the same character of buildings to be found throughout or land. In all these we see the fruit of the architect's labors which inspires the hope of further advancement until the profession shall attain the standing for which they are striving. But after all of our toils and work we will have to cease our labor, with our task unfinished, and leave to those who come after us the completion of that which we began.

There are several questions which will come before you, but none of more importance than our proposed bill to regulate the practice of architecture. This is a matter of improtance to every member, and should receive their earnest support, and careful examination that it contains nothing which would not stand confirmed in the courts and receive the approbation of all enlightened and just men. There are persons who make light of it, as there are of the same class who make light of any thing when they do not comprehend its importance and are not enough acquainted with history to know its age and its influence. Many things which were once a neccessity at a given time and place have ceased because the necessity which brought them forth has ceased; but not so with our profession--its importance has increased with the growth of years, until to day it stands as one of the three most prominent in the secular professions practiced among the cultured and refined, and its importance in any given locality is in the exact ratio of the culture and refinement of that locality.

Architecture, or the practice of building, is venerable with age and honorable with the accumulation of yeas, and none need be ashamed of it. It is co-existent with the human race, and in the history of the earliest times we read of human habitations and of the people buildings cities: but it is not to be inferred from this that all understood building any more than all understand building at this day, or that its practioners had the knowledge or scientific exactness of those of succeeding ages, or knew the convenience of the dwelling or public building. Like all other wants coeval with man, it has gradually developed with the wants and tastes and habits of our race as man has increased in knowledge and advanced in science and civilization. In an aboriginal state the wants of the people were few and simple in every department of life, and it is to-day, not progressed beyond the demand of any felt want in any given case, but as it is to-day, the architect, by his genius and knowledge, made the want felt by leading the people in paths that brought them to right ideas, and conducted them to a higher plane. From the first, human necessity required protection from the summer heat and winter's cold; and diseases, wounds and sickness begot the use of medicine, however simple, to allay pain and heal sickness and restore to health; and the wickedness of men produced crime, which gave birth to the necessity for law to protect the innocent and punish the guilty--hence these three avocations--architecture, medicine and law, are the children born of the same parents, the frailities of our nature and the needs of our race, each simple and rude in their beginnings, but keeping pace with man in the increase of his knowledge and the enlargement of his faculties.

But in their advancement they did not keep abreast each with the other. Law nor medicine advanced to lead or to meet the wants of society, as did the other, and neither of them have left monuments to their skill and efficiency, either in material good, or in song or story, that marks the achievements of the architects when the nations were in their infancy. They have in Egypt to compare with her pyramids, or her broken entablatures and fallen columns, broken and fallen but wonderful even in their ruin, and eloquent with the history of the architects, who, in science and knowledge, had outstipt all others. There is no remembrance of either, which has come down the aisles of time, in history or in their technical works, from cultured Greece or classic Rome, which can stand with the genius of those who designed their amphitheatres and their temples; while later yet, St. Peter's was built, before medicine knew the functions of the heart, or had discovered the circulation of the bloodl and St. PAul's had amazed the world with the symmetry of its proportions and the grandeur of its magnitude before Blackstone wrote his commentaries, and law was in a formative state. Since that time, law and medicine have been pushed by means of technical education, which has been provided by universities and other institutions of learning, while architecture has made such progress without these adventitious aids, that the high plane to which it would have attained with them, would be the envy of the others. Thus by means of both a liberal and a technical education the former two are more south after by men of education than the other, and this mistake would not be so often made by men of merit if equal facilities were provided for the technical education of each. I do not see any sound reason why the state should make discriminations in providing facilities for the education of two of these brances and none for the other. It is true, there is not the glamour and show in ours there are in the others, nor is there the room for incapacity, but if the necessity for this chair in our university is rightly apprehended by our law makers they will not be long in making suitable provision for it. I have

not time at the present, nor is it neccessary, to investigate the cause of this discimination which has been made against our profession; it is enough to know it has been done, partly because it has not been represented in the halls of legislation, as the other two have been, and partly from the mistaken idea that it was not of sufficient importance to provide for it. This feeling will give way as the light of truth breaks in upon the minds of the people and they better understand the functions, duties and responsibilities of an architect. This matter is of importance to the profession and is of equal importance to the public, and be inssited on continually, for the public will have to understand that it is for their interest before we can succeed in its attainment.

This subject is intimately blended with the billfor the regulation of the practice of architecture which we are preparing to present to the legislature; it is blended with it, because a profession of sufficient importance to require a license for the protection of the people before it can be practiced should require suitable proficiency to be made in the science and knowledge attaching to that profession, and ample means should be made to attain that proficiency. Do you not bbelieve that if there had been an architectural department in our university, as there is for law and medicine, that the legislature would not have enacted some law, on its own motion, at least similar to the one we are asking for? Because it is an unnatural father will disown his child. Graduation and license are linked together. I do not wish to be understood as advancing the idea that no man should be allowed to practice architecture unless he has gone through the curriculum which would be adopted in an institution of learning before he could be examined and licensed to practice, any more than the student of law or medicine is required to do so, but only that the same opportunities should be the one as is given the other, thus putting each upon an equal footing; but I do insist that men should be eamined and licensed by comptent authority before they are allowed to practice.

Many persons have fallen into the error that architect desire the enactment of a law requiring examination and licensure before practice can be allowed, from a desire of respectability and self interest. This is a mistake, for as a class they have too much self respect to have any desire for factitious respect, and sense enough to wish only to pass in the light of their own merit and indivudality rather than that of a borrowed light which might be given by a recognition from the state, neither is it from a selfish motive that the enactment of this law is desired, for I know of no facts showing them to be more selfish than other classes, but we know enough to justify us in the attempt to get such a law for the protection of the people. Law and medicine have such laws and the man would make himself contemptible who brought such a charge against lawyers or doctors. They advocated such protection, not for themselves only, but for the people, because each in their own profession were better qualified to detect charlatans and impostors than were others, and what the facts are in their case are exactly the facts in our case.

The architects want to be protected! Not at all, any further than the law throws its ægis around every citizen, and around other professions for the protection of the citizen. If any special protection had been necessary for our existence we would have become extinct long ago, for we have received protection than any other class of citizens in any department of business. No, we want no protection, other than the security of our rights; but the people want protection and it is the duty of the state to give it to them. In this as in all other instances where progress has been made in a right line the architect has the task before him of teaching others what is for their goods, and what is necessary for their own safety and comfort, and must live in advance of those around him and occupy a higher plane in technical, scientific and practical information, for he must not keep up with the advancement of the people, but must keep in advance of their advancement -- in his department, a leader able to instruct. Gentlemen, you thus see the work, or at least part of it, which lies before us. Many of us will not live long enough to see the fruits of our labor ripen into the golden harvest, but if we will be true to ourselves and true to the interests of others, those who will come after us will reap what we have sown. Each one is now busy drawing designs and laying out plans for foundations and their superstructures, and are having buildings erected which will stand as monuments to their labor and their worth, but as an association, we are laying a foundation deeper and broader than any we have laid as individuals, and the projecting compass of design will describe a nobler building and fairer in all its proportions -- a monument to the memory and the worth of the Texas Association of Architects. Sheltered within its walls the architects will keep abreast with the wants of this great state in all its improvements, until its sunny hills and umbrageous valleys rejoicing in the handiwork of man, will smile with their tasteful dwellings and gorgeous palaces, the picture of refined intelligence and a scene of beauty.

But decaying elements exist in all materials, which finally terminate in the ruin, and this structure which we raise will be brought to a speedy fall if we do not eliminate everything of a ruinous nature. We cannot expect success if each is trying to work

the ruin of others by depreciating all merit and by innuendoes and evil speaking, seeking to pull others down that we may rear ourselves upon their ruins. Remember, that if we are to accomplish anything, it is to be by a united effort and to attain to a united effort, self respect and respect for other must unite us into a band of workers, each rejoicing in the success of his associates. I know of nothing of such a debasing character, or such a sure index to absolute littleness of capacity, as a depreciation of others and an exaltation of self - nothing that has such an adverse influence on others in forming opinions of our worth, as to know low esteem each holds the other. If this principle in regard to our associates is not acted upon by each member, we are needlessly spending our time and our money in any effort to effect the objects of our association. Here, all stand upon the same plane, and no one is abvoe his fellow except by the force of his own individuality, and instead of trying to pull others down, let us endeavor to raise ourselves to their standard. What standing has a family in a community where each member is accusing the other as unworthy of confidence, only that evidence is given that all are unworthy of respect, and will be treated accordingly? It is an axiom, true in this respect, that a member cannot suffer without the whole body suffering. Then, if we have unworthy members, who are detriment to our good and are an affliction to us as a body, cut them off and get rid of them, but if not, let us not lower ourselves by criminations of others.

What I have said to you is for the best interests of our association, and in the hope that these suggestions will be acted upon, each of us can have the assurance that we will attain the high ends for which we are united.

On motion of J J Kane of Fort Worth it was resolved that the thanks of this association be tendered President Dodson for his masterly address and that the address he spread upon the minutes and be published in the next annual report in full.

Moved by Geo E Dickey of Houston that the reading of the minutes by the Secretary be [?] with as each member of the association was in possession of a copy the motion prevailed.

The Executive Committee in their report admitted the following members of this association Geo F King El Paso Mc Donald Austin L McQuirk Dallas J. R. Gordon San Antonio Geo S Kane Fort Worth

The chairman of the Executive Committee assured further time for a full report from the Committee. Granted

The [bill?] entitled an [?] [regulate?] the practice of architecture in the state of Texas was called up and after [?] discussion with pro & con it was moved by A. O. Watson of Austin. That further discussion on the bill be laid over with Wednesday morning so as to enable the newly elected members to sutdy the bill carefully.

Architect Geo W Stewart of Dallas by request of the association [?] a brief well worded history of the character and working of the Dallas Board of Architects as conclusion of which the thanks of the association was tendered architect Stewart

The following resolution was offered by A. O. Watson of Austin

Resolved the the question of uniform contract between client and architect and client and contractor be set aside for discussion Wednesday. Carried

The treasurer Eugene T Heiner submitted the following report

Amt [?] from Tres W W Larmour 125.50 " " " Memship fees 35.00 " " " Annual dues 95.00 255.50

Recd order Sect'y W W Larmour 75.00 Bill in hand Treasurer 185.50 255.50

Report submitted Eugene T Heiner Treas Texas S A A

on motion of J J Kane of Fort Worth. The report was refered to the auditing committee

The president appointed the following Com Geo E Dicket Housy A O Watson Austin. Frank W Kane Fort Worth

Moved by Natl Tobey of Dallas that the Secty W W Larmour be authorized to obtain 150 copies of 'The Day' of each days proceedings of this convention. Motion prevailed

Roll of members in good standing

A. B. Bristol Dallas Alfred T Beckman San Antonio Cortez Clark Dallas W C Dodson Waco Geo E Dickey Houston J R Gordon San Antonio Eugene T Heiner Houston Sam P Herbert Waco J J Kane Fort Worth F W Kane " " Geo S Kane " " Geo T King El Paso J LArmour Austin W W Larmour Waco Burt McDonald Austin M McQuirk Dallas Oscar Ruffini San Angelo Natl Tobey Dallas W H Tyndall Galveston Guy M Tozer Dallas Geo W Stewart " Albert Ulrich "

James Wahrenberger San Antonio A. O. Watson Austin Alfred Giles San Antonio

On motion of Geo E Dickey of Houston the convention adjourned until Wednesday morning 10 A.M.

Wednesday morning Jan 17 the association was called to order at 10 A..M President W C Dodson in the chair

By special invitation [?] by a unanimous vote of the association James Wahrenberger [?] the following were considered and [?] address

Address

Gentlemen of the Texas State Association of Architects:

Were my brain as sterile in designing, my hand as unskilled with pencil and brush as they are with the thoughts and pen of essayist, I might justly be considered a charlatan, or at beast but a tyro in our profession. But feeling a deep interest in the welfare of our profession and of my professional bretheren, at the risk of being considered presumptuous and incurring your merited criticisms; I venture to present for your consideration a few practical remarks upon the present status of our profession in this state, and the difficulties and evils attendings its daily practice; with some suggestions as to the remedies for the cure of the one and the means of overcoming some others. Our professional as well as many of the daily papers, from time to time give us valuable hints in this connection. At the same time, while this is true, this subject is one of such paramount importance to our prosperity, the elecation of the standard of our art, and maintenance of proper professional pride and dignity, that it should claim the attention of all architects in good standing, and more particularly those of our association. So that by repeaged discussions, and the presentation of professional facts, methods and ideas to laymen, ways and means may be devised for the removal of these unfavorable conditions, and for rasing the standing of our noble art to that high plane of excellence to which it rightfully belongs, and which it holds in countries abroad, and in the older sgtates in this country. The accomplishment of these purposes is to be effected partly by ourselves and partly by the enactment of laws regulating the practice of architecture in this state. To have such laws placed upon the statute books, it is necessary that the public mind be educated, that the vox populi be taught the proper and correct relations which should exist between the honorable, educated architect and his clients, as well as with the public at large; for while the architect in

designing and constructing a single structure for an individual client, for a single fee, may produce "a thing of beauty, a joy forever," he beenfits a whole community by a permanent adornment, and the placing before all, a tangible object lesson in correct architectural style and taste, to be followed or imitated by all who may. The lack of appreciation for the profession in the part of the general public is due to their not properly understanding the position the educated architect is justly entitled to, and perhaps to a great extent to the abuses and unprofessional methods employed by uneducated and unscrupulous pretenders. Such is not the case in older countries where the profession and its requirements are better understood. IT is one of our duties to demonstrate to this unbelieving public that the architect is not born as such, nor does the art come with mother's milk, nor is it to be learned at the carpenters, or with the mason's trowel and hammer; but requires a long course of technical teaching, patient, laborious study of the master works of master minds, and constant application. Without this, the architect is a bungling apprentice, copying here and imitating there, producing architectural monstrosities, distasteful even to the uneducated eye. Unprofesssional and unscroupulous methods have borne their legitimate fruit in making the profession to a certain extent unpopular with the public. While this state of affairs exists, is it to be wondered at that we are not appreciated. Can it be otherwise. It is for us to change this state of affairs and to rid our ranks of such unprofessionals; to show the public by our work and methods that we are the representatives of a noble art; that our technical education represents invested capital; that in designing and constructing for them we are not the recipients of favors but are giving value for value, technical educated experience for fees, to often inadequate or at least not commensurate with the services rendered. The confidence of the people once gained, as a natural sequence, a better appreciation of the profession will follow, and in the end it will be classed in importance side by side with the learne professions of law and medicine. The American public is not an ungenerous one, but in a comparatively new country, where inherited wealth comes to the few, while the many are the architects and builders of their own fortunes, and after years of toil and labor, whirl and excitement, with an eye single to the acquisition of wealth, to the exclusion of all study and almost all observation of the beautiful and æsthetic in nature and art, when they come to expend this wealth, so zealously saved, in erecting and adorning their homes and beautifying grounds, they are apt to apply their buisness methods and select architect, landscape engineer, etc, as they do their tail and their shoemaker -- to make a fit; to plan and erect as directed, producing nine cases out of ten piles of brick and mortar, turrets and towers, without lines of grace and beauty -- modern Quuen Anne, American Rennaissance and other blackguardisms, so hideous in proportions, lines and colors that we are led to exclaim in the language of holy writ: "Why cumber they the ground?" And if by chance the architect proves competent and possesses the encessary indepdence of character to have his own way in applying correct rules in styles with adaptions to comfort and surrounding conditions, he rarely receives any particular credit, but is considered to have accomplished just what he paid for. However, in this respect there has been of late years a marked improvement with the growth and increasing prosperity of our wonderful country. Wealth is being more widely dissemination and with it more time and leisure to the business man to observe, study and travel -- to see all that is beauitufl in other and older countries, where successive ages have cultivated the taste for high art and correct art style. This enlightens his ideas, broadens his views and develops his innate spirit of liberality, as is evidence in late years in the improvements made in styles of design in our large cities and in the foundation and endowment of technical schools. By these institutes of technology and polytechnic schools the facilities for acquiring thorough and higher professional knowledge have been increased, and more importance attached to a thorough training as a qualification for the practice of an honorable profession. A cursory examination of the curriculum of these institutes, embracing studies which take years to master and acquire, at no small expense, should convince the most skeptical that such a profession, when honorably practiced, should be duly recognized and properly appreciated. The enactment of a law regulating the practice of architecture, which will place the capable, honorable architect where he rightfully belongs, and protect him from pernicious practices of unscrupulous incompetency, is a desideratum of which the importance cannot be overestimated, and as before remaked, it is for our association to keep this subject alive before our legislative bodies, to renew our efforts with increased energy and vigor, knowing that as the obdurate metals yield to repeated blows, so will our unremitting efforts be finally crowned with success. The steps which we have already taken to secure such laws commend themselves to all well-thinking men. That we have not yet succeeded is because so few are acquanited with the nature of our occupation, so few understand those relations I referred to. We must teach them by precept and example, and then, if we fail, we will have the satisfaction of knowing that it is from no fault of ours, but from an unappreciative public whose

mind is not yet ripe for the reception of such ideas. Another subject I would refer to as of no little importance, and which is having a demoralizing influence upon our practice and one that caused so many unjust disappointments, is that of unregulated or sham competitions. I imagine there is not a member present who has not experienced the feelings of degradation and shame attending comptetions of this kind, or who has ever submitted competitive plans for public work to committees composed, as usual, of men whose only abilities are in the field of politics, but has felt the humiliation of having to submit his chance, not to the merits of his design, but to personal or political influences and manipulations. How often do we find members of such committees, who control the choice of designs in the competitions, that are competent to form a correct judgment of a plan, and who have an intelligent comprehension of its essential features which adapt it to the purposes intended?

Competitions, as a rule, are costly; these costs are borne by the profession, and when controlled by totally incompetent men, who are not familiar with the nature of the work to be done, nor able to discriminate as to the merits of proposals for doing it, are liable to encourage chicanery and trickery, and tend to lower the standing and repute of competent competitors who take part in them. It is not absurd and unwarranted assumption for such a committee of uninformed persons to decide upon the merits of competitive plans presented by those who have made their occupation a life-study? And what private citizen do you suppose would entrust a committee of this kind with selections of plans for his own building for any purpose? How much is our profession benefited in submitting to competitions that are not decided by merit or professional ability, but by such influencers as I have mentioned, brought to bear upon the committee or persons in charge? The public must become acquainted with the fact that men placed in positions of authority through the influence of politics are not always the most suitable in the world for the selection of places for any purpose. A step towards improvement in this matter would be the adoption by our association of a code of rules under which its member will in the future take part in competitions and that they pledge themselves to strictly abide by its provisions. And a fundamental part of this code should be, that no member will propose or submit plans for competition, unless proper inducements are offered and the awards are made by a disinterested professional jury. All competitions, besides being a source of expense, inovlve a great amount of unpaid labor; no pecuniary benefit is derived by the competing architects as the successful one get no higher fee than if he had been employed direct, and the others, unless graduated prizes are offered, get nothing for their time, labor and money. As long as we find architects who rate their services so low as to respond to any and all advertisement, let the inducements be what they may, it will remain a difficult task to regulate matters of this kind. But let architects who have the welfare of the profession at heart, and a due respect for their own position, abstain from unregulated competitions of the kind so much in vogue, I believe that the sentiment of the general public will gradually change in our favor and begin to fully appreciate our position. Especially in competitions for public works which are so apt to serve purposes of political jobbery, it is inecessary that we be careful in upholding the dignity and respectability of our profession.

To place the control of competitions in the hands of well-known, disinterested, professional experts would restrict temptations to unfair dealing, and the profession not be subjected to lottery and gambling schemes, such as most members of the profession now regard the majority of competitions. A committee in charge of any such undertaking composed of uninformed persons, but honest in intention, and working for the best interests of their constituents, may with some degree of fairness insist upon full drawings and specifications, add a large amount of detail work and explanations necessary to give them a vague idea of the nature of work proposed. Such competitions entail heavy expenses, and it is not just to expect us to submit a large amount of unrecompensed labor to a mere chance of the honr (if any there be) of executing the proposed owrk; and especially so, if competing with those who are so mercenary as to consider only the question of fees, which in many cases is the controlling influence with such committees. The method of grduated premiums has not proven altogether satisfactor, as, except in rare cases, they do not represent an equivalent for the work performed; and the classifying of premiums, in such awards, by committees who have no understanding or appreciation whatever, of the work they are judging, is simply an unwarranted assumption of ignorance, intolorable to the educate expert.

Until only those who are properly qualified are allowed by law to practice the profession and are protected against the unprofessional methods and machinations of the unprincipled, all competitions will be of an unsatisfactory nature. It is, however, our duty as an association, to take such steps that may have a tendency to improve, if possible, the unfavorable conditions under which we are now placed. In countries where the essential conditions connected with such undertaking are bet-