Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Copies of digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
The George Matsumoto Papers includes blueprints, specifications, sketches, correspondence, publications, scrapbooks, photographs, contracts, financial statements, and other related architectural records that document the extensive commercial and residential work of George Matsumoto and Associates. The bulk of the collection is composed of architectural records, such as drawings and sketches, that signify Matsumoto's architectural influences and his approach to project development over time. Included are materials that cover the various types of projects he took on, such as residential, collegiate, housing, business offices, and community centers. The architectural records cover a wide expanse of projects primarily in North Carolina and California, with others in Virginia, Missouri, New York, Florida, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Illinois. The architectural records, publications, honors and awards, and architectural model contained in the collection portray Matsumoto's career as an architect, businessman, and leader of modernist architecture in the 20th century. The materials range from 1930 to 2009, with the bulk from 1940 to 1979.
George Matsumoto was a Japanese-American architect and educator who is most known for his award-winning, modernist designs. In the first few years of his career, Matsumoto worked at firms throughout the midwest, including Chicago, Illinois; Birmingham, Michigan; and Kansas City, Missouri. In 1948, Matsumoto became a faculty member at the School (later College) of Design of North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (later North Carolina State University). During his tenure at the School of Design, Matsumoto won more than thirty awards for his residential work, and his achievements in design were widely published. In 1961, George Matsumoto went on to join the faculty at the College of Environmental Design at the University of California, Berkeley, and opened his own firm. He stopped teaching in 1967 but continued his architecture work until 1991. In contrast to his residential work, Matsumoto's post-teaching work is mostly comprised of community centers and collegiate designs.
George Matsumoto was a Japanese-American architect and educator who is most known for his award-winning, modernist designs. In 1948, Matsumoto became a faculty member at the School (later College) of Design of North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (later North Carolina State University). During his tenure at the School of Design, Matsumoto won more than thirty awards for his residential work, and his achievements in design were widely published. In 1961, George Matsumoto went on to join the faculty at the College of Environmental Design at the University of California, Berkeley, and opened his own firm. He stopped teaching in 1967 but continued his architecture work until 1991. In contrast to his residential work, Matsumoto's post-teaching work is mostly comprised of community centers and collegiate designs.
After a year of private practice in Kansas City, Missouri with Runnells, Clark, Waugh and Matsumoto, Matsumoto accepted a position as an instructor at the University of Oklahoma in 1948. Shortly thereafter, in 1948, Henry L. Kamphoefner, then head of Oklahoma's architecture program, was appointed first dean of the School of Design at North Carolina State College. Matsumoto, with several other faculty and students, also left Oklahoma with Kamphoefner. In 1948, Matsumoto joined the faculty at the North Carolina State College School of Design. Many faculty members, including Matsumoto himself, designed residences and commercial buildings that are still celebrated today. During this time, Matsumoto established his own architectural practice and office based out of the award-winning George Mastumoto House. After thirteen years in North Carolina, George and his family returned to California in 1961, settling in Oakland. In addition to teaching at UC Berkeley, George continued to practice architecture and was inducted as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1973.
Matsumoto was born in 1922 in San Francisco, California, and was raised in San Francisco’s Nihonmachi Japantown. At age 16, he left San Francisco to attend college at the University of California, Berkeley. With the outbreak of World War II, Matsumoto was not able to complete his undergraduate degree, as he was forced into internship at the Poston War Relocation Center in Arizona. He was allowed to leave the Poston War Relocation Center after a month in order to finish his undergraduate degree. In 1943, Mastumoto earned a B.A. in Architecture from Washington University and completed his M.A. at Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1945. With a scholarship to attend the Cranbrook Academy of Art, Matsumoto studied under prominent Architect Eliel Saarinen for his graduate degree. After graduation in 1945 with honors, he worked for the firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in Chicago, and in 1946 he joined the firm of Saarinen and Swanson.
The George Matsumoto Papers includes blueprints, specifications, sketches, correspondence, publications, scrapbooks, photographs, contracts, financial statements, and other related architectural records that document the extensive commercial and residential work of George Matsumoto and Associates. The bulk of the collection is composed of architectural records, such as drawings and sketches, that signify Matsumoto's architectural influences and his approach to project development over time. Included are materials that cover the various types of projects he took on, such as residential, collegiate, housing, business offices, and community centers. The architectural records cover a wide expanse of projects primarily in North Carolina and California, with others in Virginia, Missouri, New York, Florida, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Illinois. The architectural records, publications, honors and awards, and architectural model contained in the collection portray Matsumoto's career as an architect, businessman, and leader of modernist architecture in the 20th century. The materials range from 1930 to 2009, with the bulk from 1940 to 1979.
Some of Matsumoto's most celebrated modernist residential designs in North Carolina are highlighted in the collection, including the Matsumoto Residence, the E. M. Lipman Residence, the Ritcher Residence, and the J. G. Poole Residence. Additionally, the collection contains materials from his later work in the San Francisco Bay Area, with projects such as the Brookfield Recreation Center, the East Oakland Senior Center and Library, and the Mountain View Buddhist Temple.
The collection is divided into eight series: 1) Drawings and Sketches 2) Additions to Drawings and Sketches 3) Reduced Blueprints 4) Architectural Model 5) Publications and Photographs 6) Office Records 7) Mounted Photographs 8) Honors and Awards and 9) Oral History Interview with George Matsumoto
North Carolina State University does not own copyright to this collection. Individuals obtaining materials from the NCSU Libraries' Special Collections Research Center are responsible for using the works in conformance with United States copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.
[Identification of item], George Matsumoto Architectural Drawings and Other Papers, MC 00042, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
North Carolina Buildings Collection, MC 00225
Architectural Models of Buildings Designed by George Matsumoto, MC 00447
David Hill Oral Histories of George Matsumoto, MC 00196
North Carolina State University, College of Architecture, Office of the Dean Records, UA 110.001
Gift of George Matsumoto, 1996-1997; Gift of Joanna Johnson, March 2001; Gift of Huston Paschal, March 2014; Gift of Matsumoto Family, 2017.
Processed by: David Jackson; machine-readable finding aid created by: Lois Fischer Black, Nancy J. Kaiser, and Katherine M. Wisser, 2001; updated by Taylor Wolford and Phillip MacDonald, 2019 January-June; with assistance processing from Shannon Reynolds, Caitlyn Sosbe, and Sarah Martin.
The collection is organized into nine principal series:
This series is comprised of architectural records, such as blueprints, specifications, and sketches. Included are topographical maps, floor plans, concept drawings, notes, and annotated drawings. The bulk of these papers and drawings document the residential designs of George Matsumoto and Associates between 1948 and 1961 in North Carolina. These years correspond to his residence in Raleigh, North Carolina, and his tenure on the faculty of North Carolina State College. There are a limited number of design sketches and renderings, but several preliminary plans and studies with each project reflect the considerable time Matsumoto spent working closely with his clients. Several unbuilt projects are present in the series, with these preliminary studies and surveys. Some materials contain design additions or revisions made by Matsumoto over the course of a project's development. The series ranges from 1947 to 1991.
For additional architectural records related to the projects in this series, see the Additions to Drawings and Sketches and Reduced Blueprints series of the collection.
Series is arranged alphabetically by project.
This series contains additions to the Drawing and Sketches series found in the collection. The series is comprised of architectural records, such as blueprints, specifications, sketches, topographical maps, and preliminary designs, with some aerial photographs, mylar transparencies, and sepia prints. The bulk of these papers and drawings document the residential and commercial designs of George Matsumoto and Associates between 1948 to 1991 in North Carolina and California. These years correspond to his residence in Raleigh, North Carolina, his tenure on the faculty of North Carolina State University, and his residence in California. Additional drawings and sketches represent projects in Missouri, Florida, Kentucky, Washington D.C., New York, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oregon, Michigan, and Illinois, and others. These projects further demonstrate the variety of architectural contracts Matsumoto fulfilled by working with city governments, public universities, local organizations, the United States military, corporations, and residential homeowners. Some of the architectural records, primarily the blueprints and sketches, include notes and design modifications written by Matsumoto. The series ranges from 1930 to 1996, with the bulk of the material from 1945 to 1991.
For additional architectural records related to the projects in this series, see the Drawings and Sketches and Reduced Blueprints series of the collection.
Series is arranged alphabetically by project.
This series includes a sample of reduced blueprints from several major projects designed by George Matsumoto and Associates. The bulk of these blueprints are designed for commercial projects in California, created by Matsumoto's practice based out of California. The remaining blueprints are commercial and residential projects in North Carolina. These projects are further represented in the Drawings and Sketches series and the Additions to Drawings and Sketches series. The series ranges from 1966 to 1991.
Series is arranged chronologically by project.
20.75x24.75x3.25
This series contains an architectural model of the George and Kimi Matsumoto House at 821 Runnymede Road, Raleigh, North Carolina. Known as the George Matsumoto or Matsumoto House, the house was designed and built between 1952 and 1953. The house received notable recognition, as it was featured on the cover of Architectural Record in 1957 and won the 1957 American Institute of Architects (AIA) National Honor Award. In 1958, the house was selected for a display at the Brussels World's Fair in Belgium. The plexiglass architectural model in this series was designed by Robert F. Geoghagan and sent to Brussels in a custom shipping box for the display. The model was returned to Raleigh, North Carolina, after the Brussels World's Fair and remained in the Matsumoto house for decades. In 2014, the owner of the Matsumoto house, Huston Paschal, donated the model to Special Collections.
This series contains tear sheets of articles from various publications, such as the Pencil Point Magazine, and publications produced by North Carolina State University's School of Design. The series also includes photographs and scrapbooks primarily produced by Joseph Molitor, a leading 20th-century American architectural photographer who documented the work of regional and national architects for over fifty years. Generally, the loose photographs in the series have been cut up or altered for publication purposes. Matsumoto likely used these photographs to enhance the presentation of his work in publications and articles. The series ranges from 1950 to 1984, with the bulk of the materials from 1950 to 1968.
This series is arranged chronologically.
This series includes letters, contracts, bid forms, financial statements, sketches, and other materials that document the professional relationship between Matsumoto, his client, and the builder of a project. The content of this material ranges from routine exchanges to in-depth discussions regarding the design process and client needs. The projects in this series are mostly residential, however, several unbuilt commercial projects are represented. The series ranges from 1948 to 1968.
Series is arranged chronologically by client or project name.
This series contains black and white photographs from selected Matsumoto projects mounted on 12 x 15 presentation boards for use in lectures and presentations. All photographs in this series were taken by Joseph Molitor, a prominent architectural photographer who also produced photographs for Matsumoto's publications.
Series is arranged chronologically by project.
5 presentation boards
10 presentation boards
5 presentation boards
11 presentation boards
This series contains awards, certificates, and diplomas that demonstrate Matsumoto's contributions to the field of architecture. The awards recognize Matsumoto's excellence in notable residental and commercial projects, the certificates authorize Matsumoto to practice architecture in various states across the United States, and the diplomas showcase Matsumoto's educational background in architecture at Washington University and the Cranbook Academy of Art.
Series is arranged chronologically.
This series contains an oral history interview with Matsumoto about his career and designs. Included are two cassette tapes and a full transcription of the interview, as well as a digital copy of the tapes available for use.
The interview took place on March 30, 1996, in Matsumoto's residence in Oakland, California. In the interview, Matsumoto discusses his architectural influences and contemporaries in the field, such as architect Maciej Nowicki, Lewis Morton, Frank Lloyd Wright, James Fitzgibbon, Mies van der Rohe, and Henry L. Kamphoefner. Additional topics include the construction of the historic Dorton Arena and Kamphoefner residence, Matsumoto's educational background, Japanese-American internment during World War II, interactions with prominent architect Eliel Saarinen, establishing an architectural practice, approaches to architectural design, and teaching architecture design at North Carolina State University.
Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Copies of digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
For more information contact us via mail, phone, or our web form.
Mailing address:
Special Collections Research Center
Box 7111
Raleigh, NC, 27695-7111
Phone: (919) 515-2273
[Identification of item], George Matsumoto Architectural Drawings and Other Papers, MC 00042, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
North Carolina State University does not own copyright to this collection. Individuals obtaining materials from the NCSU Libraries' Special Collections Research Center are responsible for using the works in conformance with United States copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.
