John Upton Clowdsley Collection, 1914-1962

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Summary

Creators:
Clowdsley, John Upton, 1889-1971 and Clowdsley and Whipple
Abstract:
The John Upton Clowdsley collection contains personal papers, office and project records. Personal papers consist of Clowdsley's student work from UC Berkeley. Office records include cost estimate cards for approximately 160 of Clowdsley's projects and photographs of completed projects. Project records represent more than 65 of Clowdsley's projects and consist primarily of residences in Stockton and San Joaquin County and drawings for the Stockton City Hall.
Extent:
42.8 Linear Feet: 1 box, 1 flat box, 68 oversize folders, and 1 tube
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Identification of Item], John Upton Clowdsley Collection, [2000-7] Environmental Design Archives, University of California, Berkeley.

Background

Scope and content:

The John Upton Clowdsley Collection spans the years 1914-1962, and consists of drawings, photographs, and project cost estimate files. The records are primarily for residences in Stockton and San Joaquin County but his student work and drawings for the Stockton City Hall are also part of the collection. As a representation of architecture in the Central Valley, the collection enhances the strong northern California presence at the Environmental Design Archives. Furthermore, Clowdsley's residential work from the 1920-1950s provides insight into the contemporary style of and taste in residential architecture.

The collection is organized into three series: Personal Records, Office Records, and Project Records. The project records are the largest and the most valuable series in the collection as they represent more than 65 of Clowdsley's projects by drawings and photographs. The personal papers are limited and consist of Clowdsley's student work from the University of California, Berkeley. The office records are also limited. They include cost estimates index cards for approximately 160 of Clowdsley's projects.

Biographical / historical:

John Upton Clowdsley (1889-1971)

John Upton Clowdsley was born in 1889 to prominent San Joaquin County residents, William Forsythe and Virginia Olive Clowdsley. He had two siblings, a brother, Forsythe Charles [Tod] Clowdsley, a former district attorney and state assemblyman (d.1840), and a sister, Olive Virginia Clowdsley.

Clowdsley pursued architectural training at the University of California, Berkeley, from 1914 through 1917, but he did not receive a degree. Apparently his service in the United States Army, 1917-1919, ended his formal training as an architect. He received his license in 1920, however a Stockton City and San Joaquin County Directory of 1917 lists Clowdsley's profession as architect. Remaining in Stockton throughout his career, he established several partnerships and executed the majority of his work in San Joaquin County. He was a long-time member of the Central Valley Chapter of the AIA (1946-1971).

From 1920-1923, Clowdsley was junior partner in Losekann & Clowdsley (Stockton). He practiced independently between the years 1924-1944. In 1945 he practiced for one year under the firm Clowdsley, Ernst, Johnson & Mayo (Stockton). He partnered in Clowdsley & Ernst (Stockton) for the year 1947-1948. Upon the dissolution of his partnership with Ernst, Clowdsley worked with Jack Freeman Whipple during the years 1949-1964 as Clowdsley & Whipple (Stockton). He retired in 1965 and continued to work on occasion with his son's (John Clowdsley, Jr.) San Francisco architectural firm, Page, Clowdsley & Baleix.

Clowdsley designed many residential structures in Stockton and San Joaquin County during the decades spanning 1920-1950. In 1922, Losekann & Clowdsley associated with Davis, Heller & Pierce and Peter L. Sala to design the Stockton City Hall. He also contributed work to buildings on the Stockton campus of the University of the Pacific. His designs include: Weber Hall, (presently Eberhardt School of Business) 1924; Omega Phi Alpha (first fraternity house on campus; later Delta Upsilon); Rhizomia (later Sigma Alpha Epsilon); Archania; Grace Covell Hall, 1957-1958; and additions to Epsilon Lambda Sigma (1959) and Delta Delta Delta (1959). Between 1961-1963 he participated in planning UOP's cluster colleges.

Clowdsley died on August 4, 1971, at 82 years of age. _____________

Sources:

American Institute of Architects Membership Directory

[Obituary, William Forsythe Clowdsley] Stockton Daily Independent, November 19, 1917, 4.

[Obiturary, Virginia Olive Clowdsley] Stockton Record, September 22, 1948, 1.

Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library

Stockton, California City Directory (1947-48)

Stockton City Directory (1970)

Stockton City and San Joaquim County Directory (1917)

University Archives, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in the collection should be discussed with the Curator.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of Item], John Upton Clowdsley Collection, [2000-7] Environmental Design Archives, University of California, Berkeley.

Location of this collection:
230 Bauer Wurster Hall #1820
Berkeley, CA 94720-1820, US
Contact:
(510) 642-5124
designarchives@berkeley.edu
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