Hi Rawson researchers - If you belong to the Mendon list, you probably saw this, but I thought I should post it here as well. Debbie Clough Gerischer posts these bios to the Iowa mailing list and the Iowa genweb project. I have her permission to repost them to any list where others might have an interest in the subject. Her only request is that you keep the information free for all to use. Lisa llepore@comcast.net A Narrative History of The People of Iowa with SPECIAL TREATMENT OF THEIR CHIEF ENTERPRISES IN EDUCATION, RELIGION, VALOR, INDUSTRY, BUSINESS, ETC. by EDGAR RUBEY HARLAN, LL. B., A. M. Curator of the Historical, Memorial and Art Department of Iowa Volume IV THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Inc. Chicago and New York 1931 HARRY D. RAWSON is a native son of Des Moines and for over thirty years has practiced his profession as an architect. He is a member of a firm that in the individual and aggregate of attainments of its members and in the work accomplished of its members easily stands in the front ranks of architecture in the Middle West. Mr. Rawson was born at Des Moines, September 1, 1872, member of an old and well known family of this city. His parents were A. Y. and Mary (Scott) Rawson, both of whom were born at North Craftsbury, Vermont. A. Y. Rawson came to Iowa in the early 1850s and founded what has been known for many years as the Iowa Pipe and Tile Company. He was active in that business until his death. He was also a coal operator and in other lines of enterprise. He died in 1895 and his wife in 1900. They were members of the Plymouth Congregational Church and in politics the father was a Republican. There were four sons: Charles A., of Des Moines; J. Scott, in the insurance business at Des Moines; Hollis A., with the Iowa Pipe and Tile Company; and Harry D. Harry D. Rawson attended public schools in Des Moines, Grinnell College and was graduated in 1896 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For two years he had practical training with a firm of architects in Chicago and in 1898 started practice at Des Moines as member of the firm Hallett & Rawson. He has been in practice continuously, has had a number of different associates, and is now of the firm Proudfoot, Rawson, Powers and Thomas. His professional skill has been employed in a great variety of architectural work, but chiefly public buildings, including schools and office buildings. He was architect for the Polk County Courthouse, the Equitable Life Insurance Building, the Liberty Building and Valley National Bank Building at Des Moines and has handled a great deal of the work for the State Board of Education, including building groups at Ames, Iowa City and Cedar Falls. The Memorial Union, Home Economics and Dairy Buildings on the campus of the Iowa State College at Ames, the University Hospital and medical group at the State University at Iowa City. Mr. Rawson married, in 1902, Miss Louise Gilmore, who was reared in Des Moines, and was educated in that city and in Bradford Academy in Massachusetts. Her father, Charles Gilmore, was with the Rock Island Railway for many years. Mr. and Mrs. Rawson have two children: Charles Gilmore, who was educated in the Boston Institute of Technology and the School of Applied Fine Arts in Paris and is now practicing interior architecture in New York; and Mary Scott, wife of Richard R. Rollins, connected with the Bankers Trust Company of Des Moines. Mrs. Rawson is a member of Saint Paul's Episcopal Church. Mr. Rawson is a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, the Wakonda Country Club, Des Moines Club and the American Institute of Architects. He is acting as the first president of the Board of Architectural Examiners for Iowa. Debbie Clough Gerischer Iowa History Project _http://iagenweb.org/history/_ (http://iagenweb.org/history/) Scott County, Iowa _http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/index.htm_ (http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/index.htm)