Louis H. Sullivan

Louis Henri Sullivan was born on September 3, 1856, in Boston, Massachusetts of immigrant parents. His father, Patrick Sullivan, was Irish. His mother was of German-Swiss-French descent. His father was a dancing instructor and because his parents led a somewhat itinerant life, he spent nearly all of his summers with his grandparents on their small Massachusetts farm. From these summer experiences he developed an appreciation and love for nature which would forever affect his life and his architectural designs.

Sullivan, a very independent youth, rebelled at formal education.  He received his only academic diploma from junior high school.  His remaining formal education was rather sketchy.  He attended high school in Boston but did not graduate.  He then enrolled in a year of architectural courses at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  After moving to Chicago and working for a short while, he spent time in Europe studying firefly at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.  Living for a time in Florence, the works of Michelangelo made a deep impression on him. 

Sullivan returned to Chicago in 1876, working as a draftsman for various architects.  At the age of 24, he became a full partner in one of the most important architectural firms in Chicago, Adler & Sullivan.  This was an extremely successful partnership.  Between 1880 and 1895, they designed 104 buildings, including the Wainwright Building in St. Louis, which is recognized as the first modern skyscraper, and the recently restored Auditorium Building in Chicago, in the tower of which the firm’s office was located.

In 1895, the partnership was dissolved.  The dissolution proved to be a grave mistake.  Their association had given the imaginative Sullivan the opportunity he needed to concern himself with the problems of planning and architectonic design, while Adler handled the business and engineering.  Without Adler’s stabilizing influence, Sullivan’s business declined.  From the time of the dissolution to 1922, he practiced alone or with an occasional associate, designing only 22 buildings. 

The most important building designed by Sullivan independently was the large Carson, Pirie, Scott & Company department store.  It is considered one of the great works of modern commercial architecture in the world. 

During this period of “decline,” Sullivan did much of his writing and designed a number of Midwestern small town buildings.  The Merchants National Bank in Grinnell, Iowa is one of the eight “Jewel Box” banks located in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio.  Ironically, these small Midwestern buildings are among the best preserved of his work and have largely contributed to the growth of his fame.

Sullivan was the mentor of Frank Lloyd Wright as well as many other renowned architects.  Although his genius was recognized by the French from whom he received numerous awards, his greatness was not recognized in the United States until after his death.  He died in 1924, lonely forgotten, and almost completely neglected.  In 1946, he was posthumously awarded the gold medal of the American Institute of Architects, the highest award they can bestow. 

Sullivan is buried in Graceland Cemetery in Chicago.