Marshall Erdman

Marshall Erdman
Born	Mausas Erdmanas (1922-09-29)September 29, 1922 Tverai, Lithuania
Died	September 17, 1995(1995-09-17) (aged 72) Madison, Wisconsin
Nationality	Lithuanian American
Alma mater	University of Wisconsin–Madison
Occupation	Architect
Practice	Marshall Erdman & Associates

Marshall Erdman (September 29, 1922 – September 17, 1995) was a Lithuanian-American builder and colleague of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Life

Early life

Erdman was born Mausas Erdmanas on September 29, 1922, in Tverai, Lithuania. He emigrated to the United States at age 17[1] to live with an uncle in Chicago.

Education

Following high school, Erdman studied architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He joined the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 1943, where he helped build the Remagen pontoon bridge.[2] He returned to his studies after the war, receiving a B.S. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1946.

Career

Erdman started a construction company in 1946, which he incorporated in 1951 as Marshall Erdman & Associates. An integrated healthcare design-build company, Marshall Erdman & Associates grew rapidly, expanding into six different markets throughout the U.S. In early 2008, Marshall Erdman & Associates was purchased by Cogdell Spencer, a healthcare real estate investment trust, for $247 million. This part of Marshall's legacy is now traded on the NYSE as CSA.

In addition to founding Marshall Erdman & Associates, he introduced U-Form-It prefabricated house kits to the market in 1953 and Techline office furniture in 1969.

Legacy

The Middleton Hills neighborhood in Middleton, Wisconsin had its first homes completed in 1996. This development is considered a Neo-traditional design.

Family

Erdman married Joyce Mickey (1924–1992), a UW-Madison student, in 1946,[3][4] with whom he had four children.[5] Erdman cut off ties to his remaining family members after marrying Mickey.[6]

Work

Unitarian Meeting House, Shorewood Hills, Wisconsin

Projects

• 1949–1950: First Unitarian Society of Madison, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
• 1956–1961: Marshall Erdman Prefab Houses, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
• 1956–1967: medical offices at Doctor's Park, Madison
• 1957: Wyoming Valley School, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
• 1958: Faith Baptist Church
• 1959: 100 homes in Sherman Village, Madison
• 1965–1966: Peace Corps camps at St. Croix and St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
• 1965: medical office building, Georgetown, Massachusetts
• 1974: first modular medical building, Delbarton, West Virginia
• 1975: first Marshfield Clinic building
• 1989: Charlotte Memorial Hospital
• 1993: Middleton Hills planned community, Middleton, Wisconsin

Awards

References

1. Martell, Chris (September 21, 1995). "Son Adopts Family Business". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, WI. p. 23. Retrieved June 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
2. Lambert, Bruce (1995-09-29). "Marshall Erdman, 72, Producer Of Prefabricated Structures, Dies". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-02-02.
3. "William F. Rowe, Jr. in Washington Wedding". The Free Lance-Star. Fredericksburg, VA. August 19, 1946. p. 5. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Mr. and Mrs. Willis Gale Gray". The Standard-Star. New Rochelle, NY. August 16, 1946. p. 12. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
5. Wineke, William R. (September 18, 1995). "A Builder of Madison Dies". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, WI. pp. 1, 2. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
6. Davidoff, Judith (September 13, 2003). "Friends Remember an Uncommon Man". The Capital Times. Madison, WI. p. 10. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

Further reading

• Moe, Doug; Alice D'Alessio (2003). Uncommon Sense: The Life of Marshall Erdman. Trails Custom Publishing. ISBN 1-931599-31-9.

External links

• Marshall Erdman & Associates
• About Marshall Erdman on ASHRAE - Madison, WI chapter website