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Shaping the School Professor Sinclair Black Creates Endowed Chair in Urban Design
Professor Sinclair Black. Photo by Mike Knox.
Courtesy Black + Vernooy Architecture and Urban Design
as an esteemed school of architecture faculty member for over fifty years, Professor Sinclair Black has made countless contributions to the education, careers, and lives of several generations of architects. As an architect and urban designer, his work has had an enormous impact on shaping Austin into an innovative, major American city. In recognition of his retirement during the May 2017 commencement ceremonies, interim dean Elizabeth Danze remarked, “Sinclair saw the potential for downtown Austin’s development as an international destination and had a large hand in making it happen. In this sense, he is a true visionary, and will continue to be a guiding force for responsible urbanism in Austin and Central Texas for years to come.”
annual earnings from this $1-million endowed chair will support a professor with distinction and expertise in urban design, bring in visiting critics and lecturers, sponsor events and activities related to urban design, and support students with interest in the field of urban design.
Professor Black, a San Antonio native and 1962 graduate of the school, most recently held the title of Roberta P. Crenshaw Centennial Professor in Urban Design and Environmental Planning and was the longest serving faculty member at the School of Architecture. He also served as the school’s acting dean from 1972 to 1973.
“Professor Black’s five decades of teaching, research, and practice have left their legacy in manifold ways— from his sensitive understanding of the vernacular in Central Texas to his leadership in developing a progressive plan for Austin, from his mentoring of students and colleagues to his engagement with the public at large—and we see the marks of this legacy in the places and faces that surround us,” remarked Dean Michelle Addington. “With this extraordinary gift, his generosity will now touch the future lives of students and faculty in this school. Sinclair’s responsibility to the past and his commitment to the future will forever remain in our hearts and minds at The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture.”
The most prestigious type of faculty endowment, endowed chairs not only provide vital resources in a given area of study, but elevate the reputation of the school in wider academic and professional circles. The creation of the Sinclair Black Endowed Chair in the Architecture of Urbanism signifies a meaningful and enduring investment in the study of design at the metropolitan and regional scale, a field of growing importance as the world becomes increasingly urbanized. The seventh endowed chair for the School of Architecture, the Black Chair joins a notable list of important names in Texas philanthropy, architecture, and design education, including O’Neil Ford, Hal Box, Ruth Carter Stevenson, Gene Mikeska, Henry Rockwell, and Nancy Kwallek.
In making this generous gift, Black stated, “My vision is to position the UT Austin School of Architecture as a leader in urban design and to promote urban issues that enhance the quality of life in Austin and beyond through placemaking, equity, and economic sustainability. This could be pursued through visiting faculty, visiting critics, and lectures and events featuring experts who represent the leading edge of best practices in architecture, planning, landscape architecture, historic preservation, urban development, and
public policy. The reputation of the school, as well as The University of Texas at Austin, would be greatly enhanced through communication and cooperation relating to these community goals and initiatives.”
To celebrate his half century of teaching at the School of Architecture, Professor Black is making another important and lasting contribution to the school and the practice of urban design through the creation of a substantial faculty endowment, the Sinclair Black Endowed Chair in the Architecture of Urbanism. The
39 / P L AT FOR M / 20 17 / C ON V E RGE N T VOICE S
Reflecting on his illustrious career at the School of Architecture, Professor Black recognized former deans, “I owe my career to Alan Taniguchi and Hal Box.” He then joked about his tenure, “Every year I got older, but the students did not.”