Category Archives: Miscellaneous

Bald, Smiling School Builder Betelle

James O. BetelleToday I ventured over to the Boston Public Library (I’m up in Massachussets this week on vacation), to try and get some odds-and-ends info on Betelle. Having gotten hold of the text of his Time Magazine article a few weeks ago, I wondered if there might have been a photograph to accompany it.

After marveling at the beautiful mosaic ceilings in the entrance hall (awaiting my guest card to be processed), I headed up to the book delivery desk, where my volumes were waiting for me. Wisely I had called ahead the day before to have them pulled. I heaved the three, 800lb. volumes up to the 3rd floor, where another one (the May, 1932 issue of Architecture; a post on this is coming soon) was stored.

Flipping open the bound volume of the 1931 Time Magazines, I fanned and leafed towards the August issue, brimming with cautious anticipation. Ignoring the cover, ignoring the quaint period ads and articles, a skimmed the table of contents and plowed right to page 29. And there he was– James O. Betelle, looking right at me from seventy-five years ago, bald and smiling as promised in the text. His photo is captioned, “One cannot play hard a greater part of the night…”

Nice to finally meet you, James.

Photo of Betelle?

James O. Betelle, 1899

This is a group photo of the staff of Cope & Stewardson, circa 1899, where JOB served as draftsman. Is one of these fine moustachioed gentlemen our James?

Edit: The photo actually has a caption, buried on another page:
From Left to Right: Alfred Morton Githens, William Charles Hays, Walter Cope, John A. MacMahon, James O. Betelle, Emlyn Stewardson, S. A. Cloud, Wetherill P. Trout, Herbert C. Wise, James P. Jamieson, Eugene S. Powers, E. Perot Bissell, Miss Louise Stavely, Charles H. Bauer, William Woodburn Powers, John Molitor, Camillo Porecca, Office Boy, C. Wharton Churchman

So he’s 4th from left, back row.

Office Space

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According to my source of all things Betelle:

“Betelle’s offices were in the Chamber of Commerce building Newark. Maybe they have leasing records that show when he occupied the offices, and who took over the office. I can’t imagine that his company simply dwindled to the point he was the last employee. Possibly there were some second hands that took over and reincorporated under a new name. That said, Academic Gothic was truly out of fashion by 1954! He might have just wrapped it up around WWII and called it a day.

“Also, since Betelle lives in Short Hills, I wondered what their library would have. Sometimes people just dump things on the local library. I’d be curious what Betelle’s house looks like. Also, there would have been a will. There was an estate that had to be discharged. Betelle designed the hall of records, it’d be nice if we found the details of his estate there!”

I’ve had this urge to find the exact office where his firm was, and convince the current tenant to let me dig around. You never know what you might find in some forgotten storage room…

Great JOB’s Through History

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James O. Betelle is referred to throughout this site as JOB, a highly-regarded abbreviation through recorded history. Here we celebrate the Job/JOB/GOBs that have shaped our world.

Job

Job: Biblical dude. “…he is described as a rich, blessed man who fears God and lives righteously. Satan, however, challenges Job’s integrity, and so God gives Job into Satan’s hand, ending in tragedy for Job: the loss of his children, wealth, and physical soundness.” Tough gig.

JOB: “…a popular brand of cigarette paper produced by Republic Tobacco in Perpignan, France. In 1838, a French craftsman named Jean Bardou came up with the idea for a booklet of rolling papers made of thin, pure rice paper. The initials “JB” separated by a diamond became such a common sight that people began referring to them as JOB, thus the brand-name was born.” The fact that the users were stoned had no bearing on the misreading of the label, none at all.

J.O.B.: James Oscar Betelle, a world-renowned architect, with precisely one website dedicated to him.

Steve Jobs: Started a little company. Not much else is known about him.

G.O.B. (Gob): George Oscar Bluth II. Magician. Lover. Father of STEVE HOLT! Is reported to have said, “I’ve got the marriage and none of the good parts. It’s like so far it’s been all chain and no ball.”