STANTON, ROBERT BIOGRAPHY S 4 5oturdoy, Sept. 30 1983. fil[1„irr, 11 Frilluttbila Birrath Mof,tenly Deaths · Pubjic Libra.·-·1 - California Roofil Robert Stantor n, Architect And Civic Lec ider, Dies at 83 Robert Stanton, ptominent Architect and civic leader who designed Mon· terey Peninsula College, the Monterey County Courthouse in Salinas, Walter Colton Junior High School and numer. ous other commercial buildings, schools and home@ In the Peninsula area, died Thursday al his Carmel Val- ley home after a long illness. He was 83. Besides acting as architect for many ; bulidingg in Monterey County, Mr. i Stanton superviBed construction of homes for such notable as Bob Hope, 5 King C. Gillette, E.L. Doheny, Fred- eric March, and King Vtdor - and, for Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickfort the famous "Pleklair" at Beverly Hills. He served as preddent of the Mon. tem County Symphony Association, the Monterey Peninsula Museum of Art, Community Chest, Monterey His- tory and Art Association, the Old Mon- U]rey Bicentennial and the Monterey Bay chapter of the American Institute of Architects. "He wag a man or elegance and style and lent a certain old·world quality to our profession." Bald Nathaniel Owings 01 the San Francisco architectural firm 01 Skidmore, Owings and Merrm. "He was a great presence, a fine person and a good citizen who contributed much to the community life of Monterey." Born Jan. 16, 1900, In Detroit, AUch., Mr. Stanton was educated in the public schools of Michigan end California. In 1918 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, re- reiving an honorable discharge In 1919 8 seaman second class. He graduated Iller'td Photo) ROBERT STANTON ... 8 1972 file photo from Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles In 1921, then attended the Uni- verslty of California, School of Engl- neering, from 1921-23. On Dec. 8, 1922, he married Virginia Young, whom he met when they were both working on a stage Ret as Berkeley students. He is reported to have proposed to hia future bride by saying, "For 10 cents li'd marry you." And she is reported to have quickly produced a dime from her pocket. The couple moved to the Peninsula in 1925. He wag a general contractor and de- slgner of residential work on the Penin. su la i rom 192+28, then took charge of all building supervisbon for architect Wallace Neff of Pasadena from 1926-29. During this period he supervised con- struction of the Gillette, Doheny, March and Vidor homes as well aa -Pickfalr." He resumed his studies at the Unlver- slty of California at Berkeley In 1930, completing his architectural training in 1933 and in 1934 passed the California State Architectural Examinaticn. From 1934-35 he was associated with , Neff as a partner in construction and presentation to the public of the first pre-fabricated, factory-built house in the west, 11 was named "Honeymoon Cottage" by Mary Pickford and ar peared on the front page ol the Chris- tiao Science Monitor. But the house was too far ahead of its time to be placed into mass production. In 1935 he began hig own cateeras ati architect by opening offices in the Del Monte Hotel. in 1941 he moved hig of- fices 10 Los Angele at the request of ' . the U.S. Government Federal Works Agency, which selected him to do three hospital additions and to be the consult- ant on a fourth hipltai during the war- 111 1943 he reopened his office 10 Pebble Beach, and 10 1946 was seleeted by the Advisory Board of the California State Bureau of Hospitals to be Its con, sulting architect, a position he held in addition to his by-now large private ar- chltectural practice. In 1946, Mr. Stanton'* name wag In- cluded on the Initial roster of hospital architects approved by the American , Ho#pltai Assoelitlon, Mr. Stanton moved his office to Car- mel in 1948, and shortly thereafter the organization'grew to approximately 40 persons, many of whom later attainbd ; prominence as architects In their Own C ·,right, v During 195364 he served with the : Senate Interim Committee on Public Worka for the state of Callfornia, and ·acted as consultant to the Natllal Committee on Hospitals for the Amerl- can Institute of Architects. In 1955 he made an extensive tour of Europe, concentrating on hospitate in the Scandinavian countries, and did considerable work at the Army Lan- guage School and Fort Ord from 19* 57. He also restored and remodeled the - Church of the Wayfarer In Carmel, and - in 1967-68 he restored and remodeled St. John's Chapel, Monterey. Among California schools designed by Mr. Stanton are Monterey Peninsula College; David Avenue Elementary School, Paclic Grove; Monte Vista Elementary School, Monterey; Del Rey Woods Elementary School, Mon terey; Pacific Grove Union High School; and schools and school build- ings in King City, Fresno, Morgan Hill, Petaluma, Santa Cruz, Napa and Corralitos. He also designed Monterey County HospitaL Salinas Valley Memorial }los- pital, San Benito County HospiUl, and hospitals in Marin County, San Diego, San Bernardlno, Lynwood, Pago Rob- les, San Andreas, Martposa, Modesto and San Rafael. He worked on the design of the mas- ter plan for the Presidio of Monterey and designed buildings for the Presidio, for Fort Ord and for Hunter Liggett ReservaUon. He prepared a cultural 2 master plan for Sunset Center in Car- mel in 1975. He designed the Normandle Inn In Carmel, the Blite Bell Beaker in Mon· terey, and nuhlerous homes in Carmel, Pebble Beach, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Hollister, Los Angeles, North Hollywood, Mary}iville and Palm Degert, as well as his own residence in Carmel Valley, which was in 1949 the 5Jbject of an entire Issue of House Beautiful magazine. He also played a large part in the pneservation of Monterey adobes and 1 the Flrst Brick House as Chairman of i the Committee on Architecture of the Monterey Hatory and Art Association. In 1972, Mr. Stanton was named a fellow in the American Institute of Ar- chlkts, the first member of the Mon- terey Bay Chapter of AIA to be so honored. He wag a director of the California Council of AIA from 1959-60 He was a}go a member of the Ameri· can Hospital Association, the Califor- nia Hospilal Association, the AMoct· ation of Western Hospitals. the California Association of School Ad- miniatrators, the Cypres Point Club, the Old Capital Club, the Monterey Peninsula Country Club the Navy League and the American Legion. During Ronald Reagan's first year as governor of California, in 1967, Mr. Stanton was a volunteer member of a special task loree to reduce spending in the execuUve branch. 10 1982. Mr. Stanton and his wife Vir- ginia were honored at a tribute to his 1!le and work held at the Monterey Con· fet*ence Center, where a musical pro- duction recalled many of the mile- stories in his life, and a featured attraction was the re