User:JPRiley/Pearson

Clyde Collins Pearson was born September 22, 1904 in Eclectic, Alabama to Marvin H. Pearson and Lena Pearson, née Collins. He was educated in the Montgomery public schools and at the Alabama Polytechnic Institute, now Auburn University, from which he graduated in 1926 with a BSArch. He worked for Birmingham architects Harry B. Wheelock and Warren, Knight & Davis before joining the in-house architectural department of the Alabama Department of Education in Montgomery in 1928. In 1933 he relocated to Washington, D.C., where he worked for the National Park Service under Thomas Chalmers Vint. In 1935 he returned to the Alabama Department of Education, and in 1941, shortly before the United States' entrance into World War II, he opened his own Montgomery office."Pearson, Clyde Collins" in Who's Who in America (Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1974): 2404. In 1945 he formed the partnership of Pearson & Tittle with Farrow L. Tittle, an employee since 1943."Tittle, Farrow L(ee)" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1956): 561. This was changed to Pearson, Tittle & Narrows in 1949 to include Parker A. Narrows."Narrows, Parker Alfred" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1956): 400. This was again changed to Pearson, Tittle, Narrows & Associates in 1967."Pearson, Clyde Collins" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1970): 703.

Pearson joined the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1938 as a member of the Alabama chapter. He was elected a Fellow of the AIA in 1952 in recognition of his design work. Many of his works, including Grove Court Apartments (1949) and Biggin Hall (1951) at Auburn University had by this time been the recipient of prestigious design awards."Clyde Pearson Will Receive AIA Honor," Montgomery Advertiser, May 13, 1952, 13. He also served as regional director for the Gulf States from 1953 to 1956. He also served on the Alabama Board of Architects for six years.

Under Pearson's leadership, the firm was known for its design excellence, a legacy continued by Narrows. In 1980, the membership of AIA Montgomery, the local AIA chapter, surveyed its membership to identify then ten best modern buildings in Montgomery. When the survey results were announced, it was found that four recent Pearson buildings–the Blount International headquarters (1972), 40 Four Building (1975), the Montgomery Civic Center (1976) and the local IBM office (1971)–occupied the top four spots."Architect builds a legacy," Montgomery Advertiser, June 26, 2000, 14.

In 1981 the name of the firm was changed to Narrows, Brown, Parsons & Associates, reflecting the deaths of Pearson and Tittle and the partnership of Ross S. Brown and Gene M. Parsons, who had both become partners many years earlier.Greg Taylor, "Business notes," Montgomery Advertiser, January 18, 1981, 10B. The firm was incorporated in 1986, and in 1989, after Narrows' retirement, it was renamed Parsons Wible Brummal Alkire–Architects. A final change came in 2010 when it was renamed PWBA Architects. The firm is still active, with offices in Montgomery and Birmingham.Alabama corporate filings, no date. Accessed July 17, 2024.

Pearson was married in 1934 to Ida Mae Adams. They had one child, Clyde C. Pearson Jr., who graduated from Auburn in 1962 and practiced as an architect in Atlanta and Huntsville, Alabama.https://obits.al.com/us/obituaries/huntsville/name/clyde-pearson-obituary?id=9056123

During the last few years of his life, Pearson increasingly withdrew from business to to illness. He died on September 22, 1975, his 71st birthday, in Montgomery."Prominent City Architect Dies After Long Illness," Montgomery Advertiser, September 23, 1975, 1.

Pearson's younger brother by twenty years, William Marvin Pearson, was also an Auburn graduate and architect. He worked for Pearson from 1945 to 1955, when he established his own firm, Alford, Pearson & Humphries."Pearson, William M(arvin)" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1956): 425. This firm became Pearson, Humphries & Jones in 1957 and is now (2024) known as PH&J Architects.https://www.phjarchitects.com/about-us.html

• 1947 – Ligon Hall, Huntingdon College, Montgomery, Alabama"Pearson, Clyde C(ollins)" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1956): 425.
• 1949 – Grove Court Apartments,{{efn|name=NRHP|NRHP-listed.}} 559 S Court St, Montgomery, AlabamaGrove Court Apartments NRHP Registration Form (2013)

• 1951 – Biggin Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
• 1953 – Foy Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
• 1955 – Dr. Percy L. Julian High School, 225 Ann St, Montgomery, Alabama
• 1951 – First United Methodist Church, 822 E Hwy 98, Panama City, Florida"Pearson, Clyde C(ollins)" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1962): 540.
• 1958 – Montgomery County Courthouse, 100 S Lawrence St, Montgomery, Alabama
• 1959 – Terminal, Montgomery Regional Airport, Montgomery, Alabama
• 1961 – Alabama Power Company office building, Montgomery, Alabama
• 1961 – Funchess Hall,{{efn|name=Auburn|Designed by Sherlock, Smith & Adams and Pearson, Tittle & Narrows, associated architects.}} Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
• 1962 – T. R. Miller High School, 1835 Douglas Ave, Brewton, Alabama"Narrows, Parker Alfred" in American Architects Directory (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1970): 657.
• 1964 – Myrick Hall, University of Montevallo, Montevallo, Alabama"Regulation Court Feature In Gym," The Alabamian, October 10, 1963, 1.
• 1965 – Farmer Hall, University of Montevallo, Montevallo, Alabama"Broken Ground Marks Birth Of Student Union," The Alabamian, September 22, 1964, 1.
• 1967 – Officers club, Fort Novosel, Dale County, Alabama

• 1970 – Searcy Hall, Huntingdon College, Montgomery, AlabamaJohn Bitter, "Huntingdon to Dedicate Luxurious New Dormitory," Montgomery Advertiser, October 22, 1970, 60.
• 1971 – IBM office building, 4525 Executive Park Dr, Montgomery, Alabama"IBM Branch," Montgomery Advertiser, January 9, 1971, 5.
• 1972 – Blount International headquarters, 4520 Executive Park Dr, Montgomery, Alabama
• 1973 – Ferguson Center, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AlabamaRobert Oliver Mellown, The University of Alabama: A Guide to the Campus (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1988): 105.
• 1975 – 40 Four Building, 44 Market Plz, Montgomery, Alabama"Architectural Award," Montgomery Advertiser, September 5, 1976, 10C.
• 1976 – Montgomery Civic Center,{{efn|name=Civic|Now altered and incorporated into the Montgomery Convention Center.}} 300 Bibb St, Montgomery, AlabamaKarren Pell and Carole King, Montgomery (Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2015): 24.
• 1978 – Law Center,{{efn|name=Stone|Designed by Edward Durell Stone, architect, with Pearson, Tittle, Narrows & Associates, associate architects.}} University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AlabamaRobert Oliver Mellown, The University of Alabama: A Guide to the Campus (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1988): 117.

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}