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Stuart O. Dawson Oral History

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As a Founding Principal at Sasaki, Stuart O. Dawson’s career encompassed hundreds of projects for university campuses, museums, resorts, and corporate headquarters.

But it was his love of water and waterfronts which inspired him to reclaim these now cherished urban environments throughout the country.

Oral History Framework

Video Clips are divided into three categories; BIOGRAPHY, DESIGN, and PROJECTS

Each clip is between 30 seconds and 6 minutes long.

Interview: Stuart O. Dawson was interviewed in June 2009 by Charles A. Birnbaum, FASLA, FAAR at the Sasaki office in Watertown, and at sites in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. An additional interview with Stuart Dawson, Ellen Dawson and Byron Matthews, conducted by Shirley Veenema occurs on July 9th in Newburyport.

Stuart O. Dawson Oral History Transcript

Reflections: Collaboration is a hallmark of the Sasaki practice. In a practice which has spanned more than fifty years, Dawson has designed many notable projects. Personal relationships with friends, clients and associated professionals have been developed over those years. The Cultural Landscape Foundation contacted many of them and asked them to share their reflections.

Stuart O. Dawson Reflections

YouTube Clip Listing by Category


BIOGRAPHY 1. Prelude A landscape architect for over 50 years, Dawson still loves to work with his colleagues and clients. 2. Growing Up in Urbana Treasured memories of family reveal life in a small-scale community. 3. Attending the University of Illinois The faculty creates a dynamic place to spend four years. 4. A Summer Job with Sasaki Working in the Sasaki office is an opportunity to preview the career of a landscape architect. 5. A Seminal Year at Harvard Lessons learned remain with Dawson for his entire career. 6. Hideo as Friend and Mentor Hideo Sasaki was central to the "fraternal feeling" in an office which felt like a "family affair." 7. No Such Thing as One Alternative Working in Eero Saarinen's office imparted a valuable lesson. 8. Sasaki Office Grows Over Time Reminiscences about the people and places that embody the "rich and varied history" of the firm. 9. Making Great Spaces Working with Pete Walker on the design of Foothill College, a pioneering Modernist campus, leaves lasting impressions. 10. Three Generations of Dawsons In a happy surprise three generations--father, son, and nephew--are working at Sasaki.		DESIGN 1. Reflections on Stan White Stories about the man who was "not like anybody Dawson had ever met." 2. Chalkboard Drawings These legendary drawings illustrate White's design principles. 3. The Birth of the Corporate Campus As corporate headquarters moved from the cities to the suburbs Sasaki was at the right place at the right time. 4. "One good sketch is worth..." Examples from Dawson's notebooks illustrate how important drawing has been since childhood. 5. Putting "We" First At Sasaki a collaborative approach has been in place since the founding of the firm. 6. An Influential Roof Garden At Constitution Plaza, Don Olson, Hideo Sasaki, Masao Kinoshita and Dick Rogers design a plaza 5 stories above the ground. 7. A Celebrated Vest Pocket Park Dawson recounts the Sasaki design for Greenacre Park. 8. Love of Waterfronts Discover why, "If everything happened on waterfronts I'd be the happiest guy in the world." 9. Fifty Years of Collaborative Design Dawson recalls people past and present whose ideas have inspired him.		PROJECTS 1. University of Illinois Working on the master plan for his alma mater was wonderful. 2. John Deere Discover why John Deere stands out among the Sasaki corporate headquarters projects. 3. Christopher Columbus Park (Boston Waterfront Park) Memories of this project include its grand opening as part of the 1976 Bicentennial celebration. 4. Christian Science Center Learn how this landmark has contributed to the civic realm in Boston. 5. Newburyport Waterfront This project benefitted from community involvement and a great client. 6. Long Wharf "This is really waterfront. It's waterfront America. It's the door to Boston." 7. Charleston Waterfront Working with Mayor Riley and an interdisciplinary team resulted in a lively waterfront and new development. 8. National Harbor Outdoor sculpture and public art are integral to this most recent urban design project.

Production Credits and Acknowledgments

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Charles A. Birnbaum, FASLA, FAAR

ASSISTANT EDITORS

Nancy Slade, ASLA &

Shirley Veenema

PROJECT MANAGER

Nancy Slade, ASLA

INTERVIEWER

Charles A. Birnbaum, FASLA, FAAR

DIRECTOR/EDITOR/VIDEOGRAPHER

James Sheldon

A project of this scope is only made possible by the generosity and talents of many people.

Special thanks go to Stuart Dawson who made himself available for the three day interview at the Sasaki office in Watertown and at sites throughout Boston and Newburyport. His enthusiastic support continued through the entire project and has made this a memorable and enjoyable endeavor. A special thanks goes to Mark Dawson and the Sasaki office staff, especially to Anna Scherling, who coordinated the project in-house at Sasaki and to Terri Gray Pearce who also worked tirelessly to provide images from the firm’s archives. Our appreciation goes to Ellen Dawson who actively participated in the interview and generously provided many family photographs for the project. We are also grateful for the images from the publication, 100 Years of Landscape Architecture at the University of Illinois compiled by Professor Gary Kesler made available by the Landscape Architecture Department at The University of Illinois. Thanks also to Byron Matthews, former Mayor of Newburyport for his time and insight.

The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) is grateful for the financial support of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Access to Artistic Excellence program, The Hubbard Educational Trust, Sasaki Associates, Stuart and Ellen Dawson, Margaret Hamilton Washington, Mark Dawson, Jason Hellendrung, Alan Ward and the Boston Society of Landscape Architects.

Photographs, prints and drawings reproduced courtesy of the following individuals and institutions:

Thank you to: Robert Benson Photography; Charles A. Birnbaum; John Chuckman; Dave Desroches; Randy Horine; Greg Hursley; Craig Kuhner; Landslides; Tim Hursley and Karen Maxwell, http://hartford.omaxfield.com/constitution.html; Cymie Payne; Ezra Stoller; and Ed Wonsek.

University and Museum Archives:

The Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection image number : LC-USW33- 014784, LC-USF33- 001907-M2, LC-USF33- 016116-M1, LC-USF33- 016118-M2, LC-USW3- 015455-E, LC-USW3- 013989-E, LC-USZ62-130969 DLC.; Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, the Balthazar Korab Archive, image number: LC-DIG-krb-00175, LC-DIG-krb-00025; The Eero Saarinen Collection, 1880-2004 (inclusive), 1938-1962 (bulk). Manuscripts & Archives, Yale University, image number: 7003, 7005, 7006, 10372; and the University of Illinois Archives, Champaign Urbana, Courtesy the University of Illinois Archives, image number: 0000033, 0003346.

Stuart O. Dawson Oral History

As a Founding Principal at Sasaki, Stuart O. Dawson’s career encompassed hundreds of projects for university campuses, museums, resorts, and corporate headquarters.

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