Lorentz Schmidt

The C. M. Jackson house in Wichita, designed by Lorentz Schmidt & Company and completed in 1924. The Brown Building in Wichita, designed by Schmidt, Boucher & Overend and completed in 1927. The Ellis-Singleton Building in Wichita, designed by Schmidt, Boucher & Overend and completed in 1929. Pioneer Hall of Kansas Wesleyan University, designed by Schmidt, Boucher & Overend and completed in 1930. Lorentz Schmidt (April 25, 1884 – February 5, 1952) was a prominent architect in Kansas. He practiced in Wichita, Kansas from 1915 until his death in 1952.

Life and career Lorentz "Schmidty" Schmidt was born April 25, 1884, in Clyde, Kansas to Bernhardt Schmidt and Magdalene Schmidt, nee Gram. His parents were farmers who had immigrated to the United States from Denmark in 1878. At the age of 17 Schmidt suffered an injury which made physical labor impossible, but he was able to continue his education. He attended Kansas State Normal School and the University of Illinois, graduating from the latter in 1913 with a BS in architecture. At Illinois he was a member of the Arcus Society, which in 1914 was incorporated into Alpha Rho Chi. After two years working for Holabird & Roche and other architects in Chicago, Schmidt moved to Wichita in 1915, where he established an independent office. In 1920 Schmidt formed the partnership of Lorentz Schmidt & Company with Cecil F. Boucher and Harrison G. Overend. This was reorganized in 1925 as Schmidt, Boucher & Overend. In 1946 Schmidt formed a new partnership, Lorentz Schmidt, McVay & Peddie with Wayne M. McVay and Thomas H. Peddie. This partnership continued until his death in 1952.

Shortly after he established his practice, he began the organized effort to get an architectural registration law passed in Kansas. This law was only passed in 1949, after over thirty years of lobbying and other efforts. In 1918 Schmidt was a founding member of the Kansas Society of Architects, the first successful attempt to organize architects in the state, and in 1921 was a charter member of the new Kansas chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), which largely succeeded the society. In 1948 he was elected Central States regional director of the AIA and in 1951 was elected a Fellow in recognition of his service to the profession. His election was supported by architects in all parts of the United States.

Legacy Schmidt's initial firm, from which he withdrew in 1932, continued as Overend & Boucher. That firm lasted until the death of Overend in 1957. In addition to his practice, Overend is noted for his collection of medals. His second firm was initially continued after his death by his partners under the same name. It was changed to McVay, Peddie, Schmidt & Associates in 1957, to McVay, Peddie, Schmidt & Allen in 1963, to McVay, Schmidt, Allen in 1970 and lastly to Schmidt, Allen & Pott. Works of the successor firm include the current Wichita City Hall, completed in 1975.

Many Wichita and Kansas architects, most notably Glen H. Thomas, were trained in Schmidt's office.

Architectural works Lorentz Schmidt, 1915–1920 and 1936–1946 1917 – Sunnyside School, 3003 Kellogg Dr, Wichita, Kansas 1918 – Clyde School, 620 Broadway St, Clyde, Kansas 1919 – Hamilton Middle School, 1407 S Broadway St, Wichita, Kansas 1938 – McKinley School, 308 E 1st St, Newton, Kansas 1939 – Cooper Elementary School, 816 Oak St, Newton, Kansas 1939 – Jefferson Elementary School (former), 300 S Jefferson Ave, Iola, Kansas 1939 – Lincoln Grade School (former), 700 N Jefferson Ave, Iola, Kansas 1939 – Sandra Theatre, 121 E William St, Wichita, Kansas 1941 – Irving Elementary School, 1642 N Market St, Wichita, Kansas

Lorentz Schmidt & Company, 1920–1925 1922 – W.O. Van Arsdale House, 201 N Broadview, Wichita, Kansas 1923 – McCormick-Armstrong Press Building, 1501 E Douglas Ave, Wichita, Kansas 1923 – Wichita East High School, 2301 E Douglas Ave, Wichita, Kansas 1924 – C. M. Jackman House, 158 N Roosevelt St, Wichita, Kansas 1925 – Chanute Memorial Building, 101 S Lincoln Ave, Chanute, Kansas 1925 – Will Family Academic Center, Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas 1926 – St. James Episcopal Church, 3750 E Douglas Ave, Wichita, Kansas

Schmidt, Boucher & Overend, 1925–1932 1926 – Winfield City Hall, 200 E 9th Ave, Winfield, Kansas 1927 – Brown Building, 105 S Broadway St, Wichita, Kansas 1927 – Hillcrest Apartments, 115 S Rutan St, Wichita, Kansas 1927 – Innes Department Store, 220-230 E. William St, Wichita, Kansas 1929 – Ellis-Singleton Building, 221 S Broadway, Wichita, Kansas 1930 – J. Arch Butts Packard Building, 1525 E Douglas Ave, Wichita, Kansas 1930 – Pioneer Hall, Kansas Wesleyan University, Salina, Kansas 1952 – Catholic Church of the Blessed Sacrament, 124 N Roosevelt St, Wichita, Kansas