2008 Excellence in Architecture
Richard Poper to Receive
the Long Beach Heritage Excellency In Architecture Award
A framed calligraphy piece on the office wall bears the following quote by author and critic, John Ruskin:
“Architecture is the finest of the useful arts and the most useful of the fine arts”,
This was the inspiration for the sixty years of work for Richard L Poper. Evidence of his enduring work can be seen and enjoyed in the over 6000 homes designed for Lloyd S Whaley and the Mac-Bright Corporation. Included are the Ridgeway Heights Homes, Campus Homes, Los Altos Junior Executives, La Marina Homes, Park Estates and a Better Homes and Garden’s “Home for All America”. This contribution to Long Beach by The Architectural firm of Lockett & Poper is especially noteworthy among the many contributions made by these artists to our built environment.
Richard L Poper was born in Iowa and moved with his family to Long Beach at the age of one year. He progressed through the local school system and while at Jefferson Jr. High, joined six members of the school orchestra to form a “garage band” which they called the “Swing Bandits”. As their abilities grew, by the time they reached Wilson High they had become the Esquires Dance Orchestra and played for school hops, and dances from San Diego to Sacramento. Poper continued to play his trumpet as he moved into Long Beach City College and honed his other love, Architectural Drawing by working for Architect Jess J. Jones in his studio at fifth and Termino. Also working in that office were USC graduate architect Thomas Curley and Virginia Thompson, Long Beach’s first woman Architectural Designer. Years later, these three formed the nucleus of the team when the aging Jones invited Poper and Lockett to join him in partnership. Jones held the master contracts for Memorial Hospital and Long Beach City College as well as other community colleges.
As Poper completed his AA Degree at LBCC he made his career choice between music and architecture and enrolled in the USC School of Architecture. The country was at war and he learned that the U.S. Air Force needed draftsmen so he enlisted. He was sent to the Wright/Patterson Air Force Base and put to work in the base architectural office in Dayton, Ohio. He served four years there and is grateful for the valuable experience he gained with the civilian architects also working there.
Returning from service, Poper completed his five-year course and earned his Bachelor of Architecture Degree. He married his sweetheart, Phyllis, and went to work in the offices of George Montierth. There he met architect, William A. Lockett. They decided to branch out on their own. “Poper and Lockett, AIA Architect” opened their first office in the F and M Bank Building in 1949.
The time was right, young men were returning from service and the G.I. Bill helped them buy homes. Poper and Lockett designed 6 models for their first tract that could be flipped over for a more interesting streetscape and that would lend themselves to expansion.
A scenic tour of Long Beach homes and buildings designed by this firm would include the developments already mentioned as well as custom homes in Naples, Belmont Shore, Bixby Knolls, and Los Cerritos.
This tour would also include the Los Altos YMCA, Los Altos Branch Library, the Eastman/Fairfield Boys and Girls Club, El Dorado Park Clubhouse, Cerritos Square UCB building, and Banks in Bixby Knolls; Farmers & Merchants, 1st Interstate, First Federal and Hawthorne S & L. Also in Bixby Knolls, “Trani’s” Restaurant, formerly “Marinos”. Next would be Fire Stations 10, 16 & 21, the Buell, Lundgren & Todd Medical Bldg., the Helms Medical Bldg and Evans Medical Building.
Poper took his California State Licensing Boards and as the firms merged, Jones, Lockett and Poper Architects, AIA was formed. They were joined by Wing and Gibbs to form “Associated Architects” when Memorial Hospital was planned. Lockett took over that project and Poper took over the LBCC and Crafton Hills College work.
The firm designed many churches. Locally, that Includes the Master Plan and four buildings for Los Altos United Methodist Church; Grace Brethren Church & School at 36th and Linden, Community Presbyterian Church in North Long Beach, Emmanuel Presbyterian Church and Westminster Community Presbyterian Church, 2474 Pacific.
Richard and his partners in architecture completed over 40 college buildings on 6 campuses: ten buildings at Long Beach City College, the Master Plan and the design of eleven buildings constituting Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa, fourteen buildings for San Bernardino Valley Community College; several buildings for Copper Mountain College in Joshua Tree, and additions to structures at CSULB.
In addition to Long Beach, he also designed homes on Catalina Island, Palos Verdes, Los Angeles, Lakewood, Pasadena, Rancho Santa Fe, La Canada, Indian Wells & Palm Springs.
One exciting event in the lives of the Popers and the Locketts was the house warming party given by Metropolitan Opera Star, Lily Pons, The firm designed her home in Palm Springs, and were excited to find themselves in the company of Danny Kaye, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnez, Louella Parsons, Clifton Webb and many other celebrities. She called her home “Always Dazzling”.
When the Long Beach architects decided to form their own Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Poper was the founding President of the Cabrillo Chapter.
He was a member of the National Architectural Review Board and licensed to practice in all the states. Among the awards received for his work are First Award of Excellence for Crafton Hills College, Merit Award for Long Beach City College, President’s Award, as Past President of LBCC Foundation, Mayor’s Award from the City of Lakewood and was inducted into the LBCC Hall of Fame in 1997.
Poper has maintained his interest in music but has never regretted his choice of career in Architecture.
And as Ruskin also said, “When love and skill work together expect a masterpiece”. The artistry and skill of Richard L Poper can be experienced throughout the Southern California area, and especially here in Long Beach.
Long Beach Heritage thanks him for these masterful contributions with the 2008 Excellence in Architecture Award.