Thomas M. Price collection

Collection

Identifier: PRICE

Scope and Content of the collection

The Thomas M. Price collection is comprised of 2,431 sheets of architectural drawings.

Dates

Creation: 1939-1982

Creator

Price, Thomas M. (contributor, Person)

Policies Governing Use and Access

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This collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using archival materials. As all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site, advance notice of at least three working days is required for retrieval. Certain items may require additional time for flattening or humidifying before they can be viewed. Access is by appointment only. Please contact the archives' reference staff for further information.

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasions of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person).

The Alexander Architectural Archives operate in accordance with applicable federal or state laws and regulations, providing unrestricted access to university records not covered by state and federal right to privacy acts.

The Alexander Architectural Archives, The University of Texas Libraries, and The University of Texas at Austin, assume no responsibility for infringement of literary property rights and copyright or for liability to any person for defamation or invasion of privacy that results from a researcher's use of collections.

Researchers agree to indemnify and hold harmless The University of Texas at Austin, and their officers, employees, and agents from and against all suits, claims, actions, and expenses arising out of use of collections held by the libraries. Please alert staff if anything inappropriate is found during research.

Copyright interests in this collection may not have been transferred to the University of Texas. Researchers assume full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply. Additionally, the public use of material must be cited. See citation information below.

Biographical Sketch of Thomas M. Price

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Thomas M. Price (1916-1998) was Galveston's foremost modern architect. Price was a graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute (1938) and the Harvard Graduate School of Design (1941), where he studied under Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer. After graduation he was a Professor of Architecture and Visiting Architecture Critic at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Price was employed as a designer and draftsman for the prestigious firms of Gropius and Breuer, Hugh Stubbins, and Oscar Stonarov.

During World War II, Price was commissioned Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy. He trained at the M.I.T. School of Naval Architecture, and was stationed in Galveston, Texas. After the war, Price remained in Galveston and opened his architectural firm in 1947. His designs included private residences, hotels, motels, schools, a social club, a beach house and commercial buildings. His major works include Sealy & Smith professional building (1964, demolished 2007), Flagship Hotel (with Neuhaus & Taylor), Seahorse Motel (1956, demolished), and Galveston Artillery Club (1959). His work was not limited to Galveston; he designed the Lasher House in Houston, and buildings in Alvin, Bay City, Freeport, Hitchcock, Houston, and Webster, Texas. He also designed hotels in Asheville, North Carolina, Biloxi, Mississippi, Maraton, Florida, and San Francisco, California. Price's work has been published in Architectural Record and Galveston: Architecture Guidebook.

Price was also involved in early efforts to preserve Galveston's 19th century architectural heritage. He was responsible for two pioneer preservation planning studies prepared for the city of Galveston: Galveston, Texas: Historical District Guide (1970) and Historical Development Plan for Galveston, Texas (1973). His professional and honorary affiliations include Phi Kappa Phi honorary scholastic society, Tau Beta Phi engineering society, Harvard University and Virginia Tech Alumni Associations, American Institute of Architects, Galveston Chamber of Commerce, and Galveston Historical Foundation. In retirement, Price served as consulting architect for the Admiral Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, Texas.

Partial Extent

2431 drawings

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Thomas M. Price (1916-1998) was Galveston's foremost modern architect. Price opened his own firm in 1947 where his designs included private residences, hotels, motels, schools, a social club, a beach house and commercial buildings. The collection documents Price’s architectural work in the Texas and beyond. Record types include architectural drawings and photographic material.

References to works by or about Thomas M. Price

Beasley, Ellen and Stephen Fox. Galveston Architecture Guidebook. Houston: Rice University Press, Galveston Historical Foundation, 1996.
"Highway Hotels and restaurants." Architectural Record 114 (July 1953): 158-177.
"Hotels." Architectural Record 121 (May 1957): 213-240.
Price, Thomas M. Galveston, Texas: Historical District Guide. Historical District Board of the City of Galveston, Texas, 1970.
Price, Thomas M. Historical Development Plan for Galveston, Texas, 1973. City Planning Department and Galveston City Council, 1973.