Bacon, Edmund N. 1910–2005

(Edmund Norwood Bacon)

OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born May 2, 1910, in Philadelphia, PA; died October 14, 2005, in Philadelphia, PA. City planner, architect, and author. Bacon, the father of actor Kevin Bacon, was an accomplished and influential city planner who profoundly changed the character of his hometown of Philadelphia. Studying architecture at Cornell University, he graduated in 1932 and then traveled to China and Europe, an experience from which he would take home many ideas concerning architecture and planning concepts. Further study at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan was followed by a job with the Institute of Research and Planning in Flint, Michigan. Returning to Philadelphia in 1940, he joined the U.S. Navy when the United States entered World War II. With the war over, Bacon was hired by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. Resolved to improve the city aesthetically and make it a more livable place, he spearheaded many projects that changed the city dramatically. At times, he would come into conflict with building preservationists or other groups, but Bacon remained steadfast in his vision. One of his positions was that no building in Philadelphia should be taller than the top of the statue of William Penn atop the City Hall. It was an idea that was respected until the mid-1980s, and Bacon protested vigorously when structures such as One Liberty Place began to exceed the limit, which he felt was disrespectful to the state's founding father. Bacon was also responsible for the demolition of unsightly areas of the city, such as the old railroad yard, and he headed the construction of the residential area of Society Hill. After retiring in 1970, Bacon remained active by teaching at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Illinois as an adjunct professor, by producing a series of films called Understanding Cities, and by serving as vice president of design at the real-estate-development firm Mondev International Ltd. Despite being officially retired, he remained a prominent figure in his hometown. In 2002 he protested a ban on skateboarding in a city park, and subsequently criticized city plans to redesign the Independence Mall plaza and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The writer of an important text that was widely used in colleges, Design of Cities (1967; revised edition, 1974), Bacon was also the author of Archetype, Architecture: A Lecture Sponsored by the Erwin S. Wolfson Fellowship Fund (1990). In recognition of his many contributions, he was presented with such honors as the American Institute of Planners Distinguished Service Award, the Philadelphia Award, and the American Institute of Architects Medal.

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Chicago Tribune, October 17, 2005, section 4, p. 9.

Los Angeles Times, October 15, 2005, p. B15.

New York Times, October 18, 2005, p. C19.

Washington Post, October 16, 2005, p. C8.