Arthur R. Mann

The former Grant School in Goodland, designed by Mann & Company and completed in 1926. The Dodge City Municipal Building in Dodge City, designed by Mann & Company and completed in 1930. The Lane County Courthouse in Dighton, designed by Mann & Company and completed in 1931. The Colby Community High School in Colby, designed by Mann & Company and completed in 1935. The Republic County Courthouse in Belleville, designed by Mann & Company and completed in 1939. The Ellis County Courthouse in Hays, designed by Mann & Company and completed in 1942. The Shallow Water School in Shallow Water, designed by Mann & Company and completed in 1942. The Stevens County Courthouse in Hugoton, designed by Mann & Company and completed in 1952. The Ellsworth County Courthouse in Ellsworth, designed by Mann & Company and completed in 1954. Arthur R. Mann (June 28, 1877 – July 7, 1968) was an English-born American architect and engineer in practice in Hutchinson, Kansas from 1909 until his retirement in 1965. In 1924 he formed the firm of Mann & Company, which remained under family ownership until 1977 and is still in business.

Life and career Arthur Robert Mann was born June 28, 1877, in Sheffield, England to George Mann and Eliza Mann, née Lingard. The family immigrated to the United States in 1879, settling in Kansas. He became a naturalized citizen in 1887. Mann was educated at the defunct Nickerson Normal College and the University of Kansas, graduating from the latter in 1906 with a BS in engineering. He worked for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad before moving to Hutchinson, where in 1909 he formed the partnership of Kelso, Mann & Kelso, architects and engineers. During this year he also completed a correspondence course in architecture. The partnership was reorganized in 1910 as Kelso, Mann & Gerow and in 1911 as Mann & Gerow with the withdrawal of the Kelsos and the admission of Theodore M. Gerow. In 1924 Gerow withdrew from the partnership and Mann continued the firm as Mann & Company, a sole proprietorship. In 1934 Mann's son, Robert E. Mann , joined the firm as a partner.

In 1918 Mann was a founding member and first president of the Kansas Society of Architects, the first successful attempt to organize architects in the state. In 1921 joined the American Institute of Architects (AIA) as a member of the newly formed Kansas chapter. He was highly active in the organization, and was Kansas chapter president three times.

Legacy Mann's architecture firm has continued into the present day. After his retirement architects Winston A. Schmidt and Norman L. Mann , Arthur Mann's brother, Albert Mann's grandson, became partners in the firm, followed in 1974 by Harry R. Rutledge and Lynn W. Schwartzkopf . Robert E. Mann retired in 1977, and shortly thereafter Schimidt and Norman L. Mann died in a plane crash while returning from a client meeting. In 1978 the firm was purchased from the Mann estate by Rutledge and Schwartzkopf. In 1981 they incorporated the firm as Mann & Company PA, and in 1987 Rutledge withdrew to join BASCO Associates in York, Pennsylvania. Schwartzkopf has continued to lead the firm into the 21st century.

At least seven works by Mann and his partners have been listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places, and others contribute to listed historic districts.

Personal life Mann was married in 1904 to Ida May Smith. They had two children, Dorothy and Robert Eugene.

Kelso, Mann & Gerow, 1910–1911 1910 – P. H. Meehan House, 401 N Columbus St, Tampa, Kansas

Mann & Gerow, 1911–1924 1913 – First Christian Church, 15 S 1st St, Herington, Kansas 1918 – Lee Larrabee house, 567 E Cedar St, Liberal, Kansas 1919 – Great American Life Insurance Company home office, 100 S Walnut St, Hutchinson, Kansas 1920 – Hooker High School, 301 Broadway St, Hooker, Oklahoma 1922 – Brewster High School, 127 Kansas Ave, Brewster, Kansas 1922 – Harnly Hall, McPherson College, McPherson, Kansas 1923 – Peabody-Burns Junior/Senior High School, 900 N Walnut St, Peabody, Kansas 1923 – Zion Lutheran Church, 1017 N Washington St, Hutchinson, Kansas 1925 – Scott County Courthouse, 303 Court St, Scott City, Kansas 1926 – Grant School, 520 W 12th St, Goodland, Kansas 1926 – 1927 Clayton L. Moses Memorial Bandshell (Great Bend, Kansas), Courthouse Square, Great Bend, Kansas 1927 – Central Elementary School, 1100 Central Ave, Dodge City, Kansas 1928 – Dodge City High School, 1601 1st Ave, Dodge City, Kansas 1928 – Masonic Temple, 2015 Lakin Ave, Great Bend, Kansas 1929 – Leon Hotel (former), 14 E 2nd Ave, Hutchinson, Kansas 1929 – Stafford County Courthouse, 209 N Broadway St, St. John, Kansas 1930 – Dodge City Municipal Building, 501 W Spruce St, Dodge City, Kansas 1930 – Lyons High School, 401 S Douglas Ave, Lyons, Kansas 1930 – Scott Community High School, 712 Main St, Scott City, Kansas 1931 – Wolf Park Band Shell, Wolf Park, Ellinwood, Kansas 1935 – Colby Community High School, 750 W 3rd St, Colby, Kansas 1938 – Russell High School (former), 400 N Elm St, Russell, Kansas 1939 – Republic County Courthouse, 1815 M St, Belleville, Kansas 1942 – Shallow Water School, 180 Barclay Ave, Shallow Water, Kansas 1944 – Manweiler-Maupin Chevrolet, 271 S Main St, Hoisington, Kansas 1950 – American Legion Hall, 315 N Main St, Russell, Kansas 1952 – Fowler High School, 100 W 8th Ave, Fowler, Kansas 1952 – Hutchinson Sports Arena, 710 E 11th Ave, Hutchinson 1953 – Dotzour Hall, McPherson College, McPherson, Kansas 1953 – Phillipsburg Elementary School, 300 Nebraska Ave, Phillipsburg, Kansas 1954 – Ellsworth County Courthouse, 210 N Kansas Ave, Ellsworth, Kansas 1954 – Oakley High School, 118 W 7th St, Oakley, Kansas 1960 – Dunklau Gardens, 450 E 23rd St, Fremont, Nebraska 1960 – Hutchinson High School, 810 E 13th St, Hutchinson, Kansas 1961 – Hoffman Student Union, McPherson College, McPherson, Kansas 1966 – Lincoln Library, 201 N Main St, Medicine Lodge, Kansas 1967 – Medicine Lodge City Office, 114 W 1st Ave, Medicine Lodge, Kansas 1968 – Ray E. Dillon Jr. house, 301 W 20th Ave, Hutchinson, Kansas 1983 – Hutchinson Middle School 8, 200 W 14th Ave, Hutchinson, Kansas