| Golden Joseph Zenon Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 13, 1929 Abbeville, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | December 27, 2006 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Burial place | Calvary Cemetery, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Other names | Golden Joseph Zenon, Golden J. Zenon, G.J. Zenon |
| Alma mater | University of Nebraska–Lincoln |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Spouse | Willie Mae Robinson |
Golden Joseph Zenon Jr., FAIA (1929–2006), was an American architect. He was active in Nebraska and was a principal of Zenon–Beringer & Associates (ZBA), and later Zenon Beringer Mabrey Partners.
Early life and education
Golden J. Zenon Jr. was born on March 13, 1929, in Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, to an African American family. His father was a cotton sharecropper. He attended a segregated elementary school but around age 10 he had to drop out due to the outbreak of World War II, and because his dad needed help on the farm after his two older brothers were serving in the U.S. military. Three years later, Zenon was sent to live with his aunt in Houston, Texas, where he attended Jack Yates High School (now Yates High School) and graduated in 1949. While attending high school he took mechanical drawing classes.
He initially studied at Southern University (now Southern University and A&M College) in Louisiana, in the vocational and Industrial education department but he wasn't happy with the coursework. In 1955, Zenon graduated in architecture from University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
In 1955, Zenon won the Lincoln Home Builders Association's design contest for students at the University of Nebraska, and his three bedroom home design was constructed in Park Manor in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Career
After he graduated he worked as a designer at Leo A. Daly Co., and worked as an architect with Dana Larson Roubal and Associates. In 1966, the Swanson Branch Library in Omaha was designed by the Leo A. Daly staff architects Zenon and William Larson. In 1969, Zenon was promoted to design director at Dana Larson Roubal and Associates.
In 1973, Zenon designed the Willis A. and Janet S. Strauss Performing Arts Center for the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) School of Music.
He established Zenon Beringer & Associates (ZBA) with architect David Beringer in 1975. He served as the first president of the architecture program's alumni association for the University of Nebraska in 1982. In 1986, he was named a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
Zenon retired in the mid-1990s.
He died on December 27, 2006, from complications related to Parkinson's disease. Zenon was married to Willie Mae (née Robinson) for more than 50 years. He is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Omaha.
Works
- 1965, Science building, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska
- 1966, Swanson Branch Library, Omaha Public Library, Omaha, Nebraska (designed with Leo A. Daly Co.)
- 1973, Willis A. and Janet S. Strauss Performing Arts Center for the School of Music, University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO), Omaha, Nebraska
See also
References
- ^ Wilson, Dreck Spurlock (2004-03-01). African American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-95628-8.
- Kelly, Michael (June 7, 2015). "Architectural firm was city's first that was black-owned". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
- ^ "Golden Zenon Obituary (2006)". Legacy.com. Omaha World-Herald. December 28, 2006. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
- ^ "Golden J. Zenon Jr". BeyondtheBuilt.com.
- ^ "UNL Alumni Association Gives Achievement Awards". Lincoln Journal Star. 1996-05-12. p. 73. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
- The Military Engineer: Journal of the Society of American Military. Society of American Military Engineers. 1986. p. 303.
- "'Contribution to Living'". Sunday Journal and Star. 1956-09-16. p. 46. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
- "La. Student Wins Nebraska Architecture Award". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. 1955-05-26. p. 26.
- Architectural Record. Vol. 145. McGraw-Hill. June 1969. p. 96.
- ^ "Strauss Performing Arts Center". Nebraska Architecture. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
- Palmer, Jane (December 30, 2006). "Architect Zenon made mark in Omaha". Omaha World-Herald.
- "Willie Mae Robinson Zenon". The Daily Iberian. 4 January 2012. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
Further reading
- Wilson, Dreck Spurlock (March 2004). "Golden J. Zenon Jr. (1929– )". African American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945 (Revised ed.). New York City, NY: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-95629-5.
- 1929 births
- 2006 deaths
- 20th-century African-American businesspeople
- 20th-century American businesspeople
- African-American architects
- African-American history in Omaha, Nebraska
- Architects from Louisiana
- Architects from Nebraska
- Deaths from Parkinson's disease in the United States
- Fellows of the American Institute of Architects
- People from Abbeville, Louisiana
- People from Lincoln, Nebraska
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln alumni
- People from Omaha, Nebraska