Arkansas lost another of its giants in architecture when Cyrus Sutherland died at the age of 88. He spent a career teaching students of architecture at the University of Arkansas when he wasn’t working to preserve historic buildings in the state. Or designing various homes, churches and libraries in Northwest Arkansas.
In recent years, Arkansas has lost other pioneers at the university’s School of Architecture, including E. Fay Jones, its former dean, and Herb Fowler, John Williams, and Keith McPheeters.
Cy Sutherland stood out because of his interest in historical preservation. He’s especially remembered for his successful efforts to preserve Carnall Hall, a former women’s dormitory on the university campus, and the Old Post Office, which has been a landmark in the middle of Fayetteville’s downtown square. Altogether, he’s credited with preserving some 40 historically significant buildings throughout Arkansas.
Professor Sutherland joined the architecture faculty in 1958, becoming part of the impressive team responsible for developing the architecture program into a professional school. Before retiring, he’d served on the faculty for 32 years.
Cyrus Sutherland’s work lives on through his influence on generations of architecture students and through the historic buildings he helped save over the years. His goal was to preserve the best, and time and again he achieved it.
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