Professional Documents
Culture Documents
\Vhen it was put together I found I didn't have a single story outside
of California. J wired here and there but could pick up nothing on
the drawing boards east of the Rockv Mountains,
Only six years have passed and if they never build another build-
ing of architectural concrete east of the Rockies, we have enough
stories to run that magazine for four solid years and then have to
turn down some of the architects that now send us their material
voluntarily. \Ve can't say that all of the new buildings in the United
States are of architectural concrete but we can say that we have
made reasonable progress.
During that time there has been one architect who seemed to be
getting the "feel" of concrete in buildings a little better than most
of them. That was Mr. N. \V. Overstreet of Jackson, Miss.
Mr. Overstreet is a good old farm boy from the state oflVlissis-
sippi. He was born and raised there and went to school through the
eighth grade and then, like some of the rest of us, had to quit school.
He became a carpenter. Later on, Iwing fired with ambition, he
signed up at what is now Mississippi State College, then known as
Mississippi A, & M. College and graduated in the regulation time
as an engineer.
lIe made such an outstanding record at that college that he was
given a scholarship at the University of Illinois. He attended the
architectural school there and in clue time was graduated as an
architect. After graduatiou he was employed in Illinois and in the
North for three or four years and then moved back to Jackson.
established his office there in 1912 and has practiced architecture there
ever smce.
There seems to he a difTerence of opinion as to why Mr. (her-
street moved hack South. \Vhen I inquired about it some of them
said it was hecauselVlississippi is the best flshing state in the Union
* Architect, Jackson. M'is«
** Manager. Structura l Bureau. F'CA,
50 Portland Cement Association
and that lVl r. Overstreet was the best fisherman. He is one of these
fishermen that grabs a rod in one hand and a frying pan in the other
and he cooks them where he gets them. Mr. Overstreet, as a matter
of fact, is famous throughout the South for his ability to cook fish.
Be it said to 1\lr. Overstreet's everlasting credit that at least 50
per cent of the men practicing architecture today in Louisiana and
Mississippi have either been under his tutelage or in his employ and
those gentlemen refer to Mr. Overstreet as theDean and look to him
for leadership.
FIe introduced into the South modern and functional architecture,
but that doesn't mean that he doesn't know traditional and classical
architecture. As a matter of fact, he has used them both many, many
of fellows tCI come in and build. Thev didn't know what it was. \Ve
had to put out a lot of in formation to counteract their efforts.
I n building of architectural concrete, we made a better showing
in the employment of carpenters and couuuon laborers than we could
have on a brick building.
.\t Columbia on a school job, the board of trustees was sold on
concrete, but the miyor and board of aldermen weren't, so that job
which amounted to about $130,000 had to be bid in both matcrial-.
and concrete won by about $15,000. All jobs so far have demon-
strated the cconornv of concrete.
•
CUAIR1\L\N lVlcARDLE continued further: Thank you, Mr. Over-
street. It was very nice of you to come here and tell us what an
architect thinks of architectural concrete.
Wherever there is transportation there is use for cement. Air
transportation has been developing over a period of 25 or 30 years
and it is getting to a point where even large numbers of men can be
moved quickly to almost any spot. '[he development of landing fielrls
for air transportation, both commercial and military, is a tremendous
problem.
Our next subject is "Airport Facilities fc)rF'resent and Future
Requirements" and we arc indebted to or A. IL IVIClVlullen, chief
of the Airport Section of the Civil Aeronautics Authority, for taking'
time from his heavy duties to come here and tell us something about
the present and future requirements of airports.
IVlcMullen has been associated with air transportation for a
quarter of a century. lIe was state director of aviation in Florida
and during the three years he was there built 70 new airports and
reconditioned 35 others. His present work qualifies him to tell us of
the present and future requirements better than anyone I know of.
It will be a pleasure to hear Major McMullen.
YOLo XXXIX NO.1
PROCEEDINGS OF THE
SPRING MEETING, 1940