Winfield Scott Wellington (1897-1979)

Name

Wellington, Winfield Scott

Personal Information

Birth/Death:    1897-1979
Occupation:    American architect, designer, and educator
Location (state):    CA

This record has not been verified for accuracy.

AIA Affiliation

Not a member of the American Institute of Architects.

Biographical Sources

Biographical information:
Contributed by the Environmental Design Archives, University of California, Berkeley:
Winfield Scott Wellington was born in Houston, Texas in 1897. Wellington's architectural designs were primarily residential sites built throughout the Bay Area, though he also designed the Kinteel Trading Post at Window Rock, Arizona. He became Professor of Design at UC Berkeley in 1937. During his career Wellington participated in many design exhibitions, hosted by UC Berkeley, Stanford University, and various San Francisco museums. Wellington retired in 1965 to a house he had designed for himself, at which he led sessions for students and Alumni dedicated to understanding the nature of beautifully designed objects.
Wellington received his primary and secondary education in New Orleans, Louisiana. He completed his first two years of undergraduate education at Tulane University, then attended the Georgia School of Technology for one year. In 1918 Wellington began to study architecture at UC Berkeley; he received a Master of Arts degree in 1922, and a Graduate in Architecture degree in 1923. His graduate thesis reflected Wellington's belief in the importance of self-expression through design, and his love of objects in the personal environment.
At the start of his professional career in the early 1920s, Wellington worked for John Galen Howard, Warren C. Perry, and Ashley & Evers in San Francisco. In 1928 Wellington became the firm designer at the architecture office of Eldridge T. Spencer. Two years later, Wellington began his own practice, which essentially focused on residential structures. In 1938 the Northern California Chapter of the American Institute of Architects selected Wellington's designs for an exhibit held at the San Francisco Museum of Art. The Architectural League of New York also honored Wellington in 1941, during their touring exhibition of Northern California architecture.
Wellington commenced his exhibition design work in 1939, at the request of UC Berkeley's renowned anthropology professor, Dr. Alfred Kroeber. After his initial success at aiding in the preparation of native artifacts in the Andean Room of the Federal Pavillion of the Golden Gate International Exhibition, Wellington's display designs frequented many universities and public galleries. Moreover, Wellington exemplified his skills as an architect and craftsman in various Elizabethan, Spanish, and French Louis XV and IV period room museum installations. He served as chairman of the Art Gallery of UC Berkeley's Department of Decorative Art from 1946-1962. Despite his limiting budget constraints Wellington used this position to transform the Gallery's crude interior into a site of rich cultural experience with modern innovations.
In 1948, Wellington began teaching at UC Berkeley's Department of Decorative Art, precursor to the Department of Design, College of Environmental Design. In his classes he encouraged students to scrutinize and handle objects from his large personal collection. After Wellington retired in 1965, friends and former students often gathered at his home to discuss the arts.
Sources: University of California: In Memoriam.
Wellington, Winfield Scott. A Center of Recreation: A Thesis in Partial Satisfaction for the Degree of Graduate in Architecture. University of California, Berkeley: Department of Design. May 1, 1923.

Related Records

Archival Holdings

Environmental Design Archives, University of California, Berkeley

Collection Number: 1981-3. Extent: 1 flat file drawer, 1 flat box. The Winfield Scott Wellington collection consists of project photographs and drawings, spanning the years 1930-1971. The majority of the drawings and photographs reflect Wellington's interest in residential design. The collection also includes drawings relating to exhibit designs for Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, and Wellington's involvement at University of California Berkeley, including student projects from a Decorative Arts course. Link to online finding aid: http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf9t1nb4xq

Publications