Glenn Brown, the American Institute of Architects, and the development of the civic core of Washington, D.C

The diverse career of Washington architect Glenn Brown epitomized the emergence of a cosmopolitan culture in the nation's capital during the progressive era. His architectural designs reflected key movements in American architectural development during more than 40 years of practice in the city (1880-1921). As a man of letters, he crusaded for the improvement of federal art and architecture, especially the revival of Pierre Charles L'Enfant's 1791 plan for Washington. As an organizer and professional leader, Brown had a significant impact on the 20th-century development of the monumental core of the national capital, on the creation of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, and on the modern evolution of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).;This biographical study examines Brown's rise to national prominence and the ideological origins, political strategies, and aesthetic influences of his crusade to mold the development of Washington's monumental core. It concentrates on the years 1899 to 1913, when Brown served as AIA secretary. It was during this vital period in Washington's urban development that Brown championed the Senate Park Commission's now famous 1901-1902 plan for the national capital, known today as the McMillan plan. Brown established his professional reputation on a sound architectural practice and his prolific writing. He achieved national fame with the publication of his two-volume study, The History of the United States Capitol (1901-1903). His outline of L'Enfant's intent for the capital in the first volume of this book impressed the Senate Park Commission and contributed to the revival of the French engineer's 1791 city design in the commission's 1901-1902 comprehensive plan for the capital.;During his tenure as AIA secretary, Brown emerged as a national spokesman for the profession on matters pertaining to architecture, city planning, and government fine arts. His direction of AIA campaigns prompted the formation of the Senate Park Commission in 1901 and the establishment of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts in 1910. Brown was the local guardian of the McMillan plan for the Mall during its first critical decade of implementation, and he doggedly fought for siting the Agriculture Building (1904), the Grant Memorial (1907), and the Lincoln Memorial (1913) in a manner that adhered to the commission's design.