John Desmond

John Jacob Desmond (April 5, 1922, in Denver, Colorado – March 27, 2008, in Zachary, Louisiana) was an American architect from Hammond and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Early life John Desmond was the third child of Timothy Joseph Desmond (Cork City, Ireland) and Rose Isabelle Dvorak Desmond. After living for some time in New York, the family moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, where Desmond graduated from Jesuit High School. After moving with his family to Hammond, Louisiana, he became a recipient of a legislative scholarship for his first year at Tulane University. By working in the cafeteria he was able to complete a bachelor's degree in architecture. He subsequently received a master's of Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he studied under William Wurster and Alvar Aalto. With François Emilio (Milo) Puiz, art director, he realized the second remodeling of the interior of St. Joseph Cathedral according to the directives of Vatican Council II. In New Orleans, he designed the Rogers Memorial Chapel, as well as the Lindy Boggs Center, both on the Campus of his alma mater, Tulane University.