In the following narrative, Robert Field, Jr., discusses his career as an architect and comments on a variety of subjects relating to his profession. He was born on June 14, 1902, in Chicago, Illinois, and during his youth resided in a number of midwestern cities including Flint and Detroit, Michigan. In 1906, he came to the west coast, living first in San Francisco, then in Long Beach, finally, in Los Angeles, where he graduated from Manual Arts High School in 1921.
During his high school years, with the encouragement of one of his teachers, Scott Quinton, he began preparing for a career in architecture. Upon graduation he began his apprenticeship in the Pasadena architectural firm of Marston and Van Pelt, and gained further drafting experience in the offices of Bertram Goodhue. In 1922, he was employed by architects Walker and Eisen. The same year, he joined the Los Angeles Architectural Club and, through it, participated in the Beaux-Arts Program, designing buildings of all types and submitting competition drawings. At a much later date, during the Depression years, he also took design and other architecture courses at the University of Southern California. In 1938, he passed the State Board of Architects' examination to receive his license.
Much of Mr. Fields knowledge of architecture was gained through practical experience and during the 1920's and '30's, he worked for some of the city's leading firms: Parkinson and Parkinson; Morgan, Walls and Clements; and, at different times, Walker and Eisen. In 1939, he entered a partnership known as Field and Hoak. Shortly after the beginning of World War II, Mr. Field dissolved his partnership and enlisted in the Marine Corps, serving in the South Pacific and earning the rank of major.
Following the war, he returned to Los Angeles, established a private practice, and, in 1946, entered into partnership with John C. Austin and Charles E. Fry. The firm's offices are located at 811 West Third Street.
Most of the material in the manuscript is from interviews conducted by Donald J. Schippers under the auspices of the Oral History Program during July and September of 1963. A one-hour Interview dealing principally with Field's recollections of Walker and Eisen, however, was conducted independently by Mr. Schippers. This interview was merged with those done for the program and explains what might appear to be an overemphasis on the Walker and Eisen phase of Mr. Fields career. All interviews took place in Mr. Field's office. The manuscript was edited by Donald Schippers, who also assisted Mrs. Adelaide Tusler in preparing the index. Records relating to this interview are located in the office of the UCLA Oral History Program. The first pages of this manuscript, up to the first question by the interviewer, were prepared by the interviewee to expand upon his opening remarks in the original transcript.