Walter Netsch Chronology
| 1920 | Born February 23 in Chicago, IL |
| 1934-1937 | Attended Hyde Park High School, Chicago IL |
| 1938 | Postgraduate year at Leelanau School for Boys, Glen Arbor, MI |
| 1939-1943 | Studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| 1943-1946 | Served in United States Army Corps of Engineers, North Pacific |
| 1946-1947 | Designer for L. Morgan Yost, Kenilworth, IL |
| 1947 | Joined Skidmore, Owings and Merrill |
| 1947-1949 | Designed for SOM in Oak Ridge, TN |
| 1949 | Received honorable mention in the Progressive Architecture U. S. Junior Chamber of Commerce Architectural Competition |
| 1950 | Museum of Modern Art exhibition Recent Buildings by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill included a model of a shopping center at Del Monte by Netsch |
| 1952 | Elmdorf Air Force Hospital, Anchorage, AK |
| 1953 | Greyhound Service Garage, San Francisco, CA |
| 1953-1954 | Designed military air bases in Okinawa, Japan |
| 1954 | Plans for the Inland Steel Building, Chicago, IL |
United States Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA | |
| 1954-1958 | United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO |
| 1954-1963 | United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel, Colorado Springs, CO |
| 1954-1974 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA |
| 1955 | Named fellow of the American Institute of Architects |
| The Academy Master Plan exhibition unveiled designs for the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Museum, Colorado Springs, CO | |
| Made partner at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill | |
| 1957 | Museum of Modern Art exhibition Buildings for Business and Government included the designs for the United States Air Force Academy, New York, NY |
| 1959 | United States Air Force Academy dedication |
| Harris Trust and Savings Bank (First expansion), Chicago, IL | |
| 1960 | Skokie Public Library, Skokie, IL |
| 1961-1965 | University of Illinois at Chicago Campus, Chicago, IL |
| 1962 | University Library, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL |
| Hermann Union Building, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL | |
| Northwestern University Lakefill expansion plan, Evanston, IL | |
| 1963 | Married Dawn Clark |
| 1964 | Received R.S. Reynolds Memorial Award for United States Air Force Academy Chapel |
| Lake Forest Academy, Lake Forest, IL | |
| 1964-1970 | Northwestern University Library, Evanston, IL |
| 1965 | Grinnell Forum Building, Grinnell, IA |
| Awarded American Institute of Architects New York Chapter's Silver Medal of Design and Craftsmanship for Air Force Academy Chapel colored glass windows | |
| 1966 | Lindheimer Astronomical Research Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (razed 1995) |
| Recipient of the National Society of Interior Designers Total Design Award for the University of Illinois Chicago Circle Campus | |
| 1967 | Elected to College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects |
| Children's Services Building, Administration Office Building, Chicago, IL | |
| Illinois State Bar Association Office Building, Springfield, IL | |
| John J. Madden Clinic, Maywood, IL | |
| 1968 | Received Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Lawrence University, Appleton, WI |
| Louis Jefferson Long Library, Wells College, Aurora, NY | |
| 1969 | St. Matthew United Methodist Church, Chicago, IL |
| Rebecca Crown Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL | |
| 1970 | Joseph Regenstein Library, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL |
| Behavioral Sciences Building, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL | |
| Winner of the Concrete Contractors Association of Chicago’s Superior Craftsmanship Award for Northwestern University Library | |
| Newark New Town - In Town Development Plan, Newark, NJ | |
| 1971 | O.T. Hogan Biological Sciences Research Building, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL |
| Sunburst Youth Home, Neillsville, WI | |
| Pruitt-Igoe, core urban renewal plans, St. Louis, MO | |
| Detroit Paired New Towns, Conceptual Planning and Urban Design, Detroit, MI | |
| Art collection exhibited at the University of Iowa Museum of Art, Iowa City, IA | |
| 1971-1980 | Montgomery College, Takoma Park, MD |
| 1972 | Engineering Library remodeling, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA |
| EE-RLE Fairchild Building, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA | |
| Lindquist Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA | |
| Basic Sciences Building, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA | |
| Frances Searle Building, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL | |
| Urban Design and Transportation Study, Indianapolis, IN | |
| 1973 | Medical Sciences Library, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA |
| Operation Breakthrough, Design of Industrial Modular Housing System, Indianapolis, IN | |
| Poinciana New Town Master Plan, Poinciana, FL | |
| Westinghouse Electric Corporation Master Plan, Research Development Center and Site Development, Churchill Borough, PA | |
| 1974 | Walter Netsch Home and Studio, Chicago, IL |
| Barler Hall of Music, Wells College, Aurora, NY | |
| Henrietta Campbell Art Studio, Wells College, Aurora, NY | |
| John Wesley Powell Federal Building, National Headquarters for U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA | |
| The Organization of American States, Feasibility Study and Remodeling Programs, Washington, D.C. | |
| Received Honor Award for the Sunburst Youth Homes, Neillsville, WI from Wisconsin Architect | |
| 1975 | Dirab Park, Master Plan for Wild Animal Reservation and Recreation Center, Riydah, Kingdom of Saudia Arabia |
| 1975-1977 | Harris Trust and Savings Bank (second expansion), Chicago, IL |
| 1976 | Art Institute of Chicago, East Wing, Chicago, IL |
| 1977 | Regenstein Music Building, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL |
Seeley G. Mudd Library for Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, | |
| 1978 | William G. and Marie Selby Public Library, Sarasota, FL |
| Miami University Art Museum, Oxford, OH | |
| Mayo Clinic, Community Medicine Facility, Rochester, MN | |
| Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Regenstein Eye Center, Chicago, IL | |
| Received Honor Award and Bartlett Award from the American Institute of Architects | |
| Received Library Building Award, American Institute of Architects/American Library Association | |
| 1979 | Central Library, Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan (original concept drawings) |
| School of Music remodeling, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL | |
| Received Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Miami University, Oxford, OH | |
| Included in exhibition Transformations in American Architecture at Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY | |
| Address on creativity at the Jungian Conference, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio | |
| Awarded certificate of Architectural Merit by the Association of School Business Officials | |
| 1979-1983 | Expansion and renovation of the Mary Couts Burnett Library, Texas Christian University Library, Fort Worth, TX |
| 1980 | Received Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from Northwestern University, Evanston, IL |
| Included in exhibition Late Entries to the Chicago Tribune Competition at Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL | |
| Presentation at Fifth Aga Khan Architectural Seminar, "The Search for Form, Places of Public Gathering in Islam," (May 4-7, 1980), in Amman, Jordan | |
| Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN | |
| 1980-1984 | Appointed by President Carter to the Commission on Fine Arts |
| 1981 | Exhibition at Zolla/Lieberman Gallery, Chicago, IL |
| Mary Couts Burnett Library, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX | |
| 1983 | Art collection exhibited at the Miami University Art Museum, Oxford, OH |
| 1984 | Art collection exhibited at the Snite Museum of Art, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN |
| The Peak Development, Hong Kong | |
| Three Student Housing Communities, University of Annaba, Annaba, Algeria | |
| 1984-1986 | University of Blida, Blida, Algeria |
| 1986 | University of Tizi-Ouzou, Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria |
| 1986-1987 | Appointed President of the Board of Directors, Chicago Park District, Chicago, IL |
| 1986-1989 | Served as Commissioner of Chicago Park District, Chicago, IL |
| 1990 | Established private consulting practice, Chicago, IL |
| 1991 | Art collection exhibited at the Miami University Art Museum, Oxford, OH |
| Received honorary Doctorate of Landscape Architecture from Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN | |
| 1995 | Interviewed for Chicago Architects Oral History Project |
| 1996 | United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel wins the American Institute of Architects 25-Year Award |
| 2001 | Awarded the Illinois Institute of Chicago's Excellence in Architecture Award |
| 2002 | Awarded the Daniel H. Burnham History Maker Award for Distinction in Architecture and Design by the Chicago Historical Society |
| 2004 | Air Force Academy Cadet Area dedicated as a National Historic Landmark and commemorative U.S. postage stamp issued |
| Inducted as life member of Northwestern University Library Board of Governors | |
| 2006 | Exhibit at Northwestern University Library |
| 2007 | Received AIA Lifetime Achievement Award |
| 2008 | Received honorary Doctor of Architecture degree from University of Illinois at Chicago |
| Received Deering Family Award, Deering Society and Library Board of Governors, Northwestern University Library | |
| Walter A. Netsch, FAIA: A Critical Appreciation and Sourcebook published | |
| Died June 16 in Chicago, IL |
Walter Netsch Home | Biography | Images | Chronology | Bibliography | Sourcebook | Exhibit | Links
Photographs courtesy Northwestern University Archives