William B. Ittner

Art Deco style of the Continental Life Building in St. Louis William Butts Ittner (September 4, 1864 – 1936) was an American architect in St. Louis, Missouri. He designed over 430 school buildings in Missouri and other areas, was president of the St. Louis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects from 1893 to 1895, He was described as the most influential man in school architecture in the United States He was appointed St. Louis School Board commissioner in 1897 and is said to have designed open buildings that featured "natural lighting, inviting exteriors, and classrooms tailored to specific needs." In 1936, Ittner died.

Background His parents were Anthony F. and Mary Butts Ittner. His father worked at a lead plant and then as a bricklayer before founding Ittner Bros. with his brother Conrad in 1859. Some examples include:

Integrated ventilation: Ittner designed chases to be placed behind lockers, which allowed air from inside the school to exit through chimneys. Natural lighting: Ittner integrated large windows, skylights, and lightwells in order to introduce light inside school buildings. Standardized plans: Ittner constructed plans that would effectively connect the specialized places of the school into one, cohesive unit. These plans included the H-Plan, I-Plan, and L-Plan. The Community School Concept: Ittner used site planning concepts to allow school resources to be available to residents in the surrounding areas.

Projects

Residences 6034 West Cabanne Place, St. Louis, Missouri (1891) Harris Teachers College, St. Louis, Missouri (1906) (NRHP) Hempstead School, St. Louis, Missouri (1906) (NRHP) Gardenville School, St. Louis, Missouri (1907) Greenville High School, Greenville, Ohio Sumner High School, St. Louis, Missouri (1908) Bel-Nor Elementary School, Bel-Nor, Missouri (1926) St. Petersburg High School, St. Petersburg, Florida (1926) (NRHP) Robert Alexander Long High School, Longview, Washington (1927) (NRHP) Dunbar School, Fairmont, West Virginia (1928) (NRHP) Fairmont Senior High School, Fairmont, West Virginia (1928) (NRHP) Maplewood-Richmond Heights High School, Maplewood, Missouri (1929) Nipher Middle School, Kirkwood, Missouri (1929) Ramsey High School, Birmingham, Alabama (1930) Lincoln School, Springfield, Missouri (1930) Keysor Elementary School, Kirkwood, Missouri (1930) Robinson Elementary School, Kirkwood, Missouri (1930) University City High School, University City, Missouri (1930) (NRHP) Theodore Roosevelt High School, Gary, Indiana (1930) (NRHP) Lew Wallace School, Gary, Indiana (1930) Bailey School, Springfield, Missouri (1931) (NRHP)

John M Vogt High School , Ferguson, Missouri (1931)

Phelps School, Springfield, Missouri (1931 ) Hanley Junior High School, University City, Missouri (1936) (demolished 1985) Morton High School, Richmond, Indiana (1939) Park City Junior High School, Knoxville, Tennessee (NRHP) Greenfield Educational Complex, Greenfield, Ohio ** Froebel School, Gary, Indiana (1912)(NRHP) Horace Mann School, Gary, Indiana (1926) Clark Elementary School, Webster Groves, Missouri (1948) Edgar Road Elementary School, Webster Groves, Missouri Goodall School, Webster Groves, Missouri (now condominiums) Douglass Elementary School, Webster Groves, Missouri (now Douglass Manor)

Other buildings Masonic Temple, Belleville, Illinois (1915) Missouri Athletic Club, St. Louis, Missouri (1916) (NRHP) Principia Page-Park YMCA Gymnasium, St. Louis, Missouri (1919) (NRHP) (significant expansion to 1910 structure designed by A.B. Groves) Scottish Rite Cathedral, St. Louis, Missouri (1921) Ainad Temple, East St. Louis, Illinois (1922) (in conjunction with Albert B. Frankel) St. Louis Colored Orphans Home, St. Louis, Missouri (1922) (NRHP) Masonic Temple, Webster Groves, Missouri (1923) Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children, St. Louis, Missouri (1922) (NRHP) Masonic Temple, Maplewood, Missouri (1924) (demolished c. 1984) Missouri State Teachers Association Building, Columbia, Missouri (1927) (NRHP) Continental Life Building, St. Louis, Missouri (1929)