Louis Skidmore

Louis Skidmore (April 8, 1897 – September 27, 1962) was an American architect, co-founder of the architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and recipient of the AIA Gold Medal.

Biography Louis Skidmore was born in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. He served in the United States Army during World War I as a Sergeant. On June 14, 1930, he married Eloise Owings, the sister of Nathaniel A. Owings his future business partner. Louis and Eloise were married for over 32 years until his death in 1962. They had two sons Louis Jr. and Philip Murray.

Bradley Polytechnic Institute Louis Skidmore studied at Bradley Polytechnic Institute, now known as Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, finishing in 1917.

Boston Louis Skidmore trained with Cram and Ferguson, a large, established firm in Boston that designed Gothic style buildings. At night he studied at the Boston Architectural Club creating additional design problems that were critiqued by Harvard and MIT professors. Winning a prize at the BAC opened the door for Skidmore to attend MIT. Another major government-appointed project was the United States Air Force Academy. His firm developed its reputation for reliability in large developments, and became one of the largest and most talked-about skyscraper builders in the 1950s. He received the highest individual honor for architecture from the American Institute of Architects, the Gold Medal in 1957.

Children Louis Skidmore Jr. retired as an associate partner in Skidmore Owings & Merrill and currently resides in Houston, Tx. Philip M. Skidmore lives and works in Greenwich, Connecticut where he is Chairman of the wealth management firm Belpointe Asset Management.

Grandchildren Louis Skidmore's first-born son, Louis Skidmore Jr., fathered three children: Christopher Skidmore, Elizabeth Skidmore and Heather Howard. Philip Skidmore fathered two children: Gregory Skidmore and Anne Skidmore.