Name John Harkness | Role Architect | |
Organizations founded The Architects' Collaborative People also search for Sarah P. Harkness, Norman C. Fletcher | ||
John Cheesman Harkness FAIA (November 30, 1916 – November 28, 2016) was an American architect who was a founder and partner of The Architects Collaborative (TAC) in Cambridge, Massachusetts with Walter Gropius and six other architects. He was a part of TAC from its inception in 1945 until the firm's demise in 1995.
He was born in New York City to architect Albert Harkness and was educated at the Harvard Graduate School of Design graduating in 1941. He was also briefly in the American Field Service. In 1945, shortly after the founding of TAC, he and his wife Sarah P. Harkness joined forces with another architectural couple Norman and Jean Fletcher, also founders of TAC, to submit entries for the Smith College Dormitories competition hosted by Progressive Architecture magazine. The Harkness' came in second place. During his work at TAC, Harkness was involved in designing many public and private school buildings throughout New England. Most notably, Wayland High School, which received considerable attention for its "campus" style and new methods of instruction. He was elected into the National Academy of Design in 1971 as an Associate member, and became a full Academician in 1994.
Harkness became Harvard wrestling’s first NCAA national champion on March 26, 1938 when he defeated Oklahoma’s Marshall Word for the 175 lbs. title. Harkness, the Crimson captain that season, also won the EIWA title and was named the EIWA’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. He died on 28 November 2016, two days short of his 100th birthday.