Since 1903, members of Arts and Letters have delivered commemorative tributes to fellow members who have passed away. These remarks celebrate and reflect on the lives and work of the members being honored and acknowledge their contribution to the arts. A selection of tributes is now available in the digital archive below. As we prepared this archive, we were reminded that these tributes reflect their times, and, in some instances, include terminology and social and moral judgments we do not endorse.
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I had the pleasure of meeting Walter Gropius in Germany at one of the early meetings of the International Congress for Modern Architecture (CIAM). Since then our association through the last thirty-five years grew into a close friendship, and I am able to appreciate the qualities and great value of the man. His innumerable contributions to the fields of architecture, industrial design, and city planning reflect his life-long dedication to the shaping of a better physical environment: from the design of simple, everyday objects to the complex plans of an entire city or metropolitan area.
During his years of work in this country he was continually excited and stimulated by the many technological advances, and he saw some of his earliest dreams for new and different buildings materialize. On the other hand, he was also disappointed in seeing how many barriers prevented the application of these advances to the larger and more critical problems of our environment—and he never lived to see the breakthrough he was expecting for so many years.
Gropius had a disarming good faith and fairness in his judgments. There are few people of his stature whose appreciation of another's work was expressed in as simple and moving terms. These qualities in particular earned him the affection, as well as the admiration, of his students. He was always willing to listen to others describe their work and intentions or their views of current problems; and even if Gropius disagreed, they were impressed by his sincerity. His contribution to architectural education is unique and unmatched.
Three years ago this winter my wife and I joined Gropius and Ise for a vacation in Sicily. During our stay we went to see the Greek temples in Agrigento, and I remember being very moved to see how impressed he was. He snapped pictures furiously, and studied this architecture with a curiosity and enthusiasm like that of a student. This recollection to me exemplifies his youthful spirit, his appreciation of others' work, past or present, and especially his capacity to see the beauty in any form created by man or nature.
He was always a forward-looking man, and his own full life enriched the lives of his friends, colleagues, and students.