Frank Perry Gates | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1895 (1895) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | January 2, 1975(1975-01-02) (aged 79–80) Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Hill Cemetery Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Education | Chicago Technology Academy |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Spouse | |
Frank Perry Gates (1895 – January 2, 1975) was an American architect. He designed buildings inMississippi, especially inClarksdale andJackson, some of which are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places. He also designed 18 buildings on the campus of theUniversity of Mississippi.
Frank Perry Gates was born in 1895 inMemphis, Tennessee.[1][2] He had a brother and two sisters.[1] He was educated at theChicago Technology Academy.[2] He moved toClarksdale, Mississippi in 1917 and served in theUnited States Army duringWorld War I.[1]
Gates began his career as an architect in Clarksdale,[1] where he designed the Elizabeth G. Dorr (Junior) High School, the (Old) American Legion Hall, and the Gates & Gates Veterinary Hospital, which is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to theClarksdale Historic District.[2] By the 1930s, he had opened a new architectural practice in Jackson, Mississippi.[1] While he designed most of his buildings on his own, he also worked with architectRaymond Birchett.[1][3]
Gates designed 18 buildings on the campus of theUniversity of Mississippi,[1] mostly in theGeorgian Revival architectural style; they include (Old) University High School, Barr Hall, Bondurant Hall, Farley Hall (also known as Lamar Hall), Faulkner Hall, Hill Hall, Howry Hall, Isom Hall, Longstreet Hall, Martindale Hall, Vardaman Hall, the Cafeteria/Union Building, and the Wesley Knight Field House.[2] He also designed buildings on the campuses of two historically black colleges: the Just Hall Of Science atJackson State University and Mable Thomas Hall atAlcorn State University.[1]
Gates designed the Jackson Exchange Boys Club, the Jackson Police Department,[4] and the Jackson Jail and Municipal Court.[1][5] Additionally, he renovated theJackson City Hall in 1963–1964.[6] He also designed the Tunica County Courthouse inTunica, Mississippi in theClassical Revival architectural style; it is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places as part of theTunica Historic District.[2]
With architectsEmmett J. Hull,Edgar Lucian Malvaney and Ransom Carey Jones, Gates designedWoolfolk State Office Building in Jackson in 1949.[7]
Gates was a co-founder of the Mississippi Association of Architects.[1][8] He was also elected as the president of the Mississippi chapter of theAmerican Institute of Architects in 1937.[9]
Gates married Ruby Nichols in 1951.[2] They resided at 4911 Old Canton Road in Jackson, Mississippi.[2] He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Jackson and theAmerican Legion.[1] He was the "grand winner of the 1949 floral exhibits at theMississippi State Fair."[10]
Gates died on January 2, 1975, in Jackson, and he was buried atForest Hill Cemetery in Memphis.[1]
