Kuehne, Hugo Franz

Hugo Franz Kuehne was born in Austin, Texas in 1884. He received a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas in 1906 and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1908.

Directly out of school, Kuehne worked in an architectural firm in Boston until he was asked to organize an architectural program in the College of Engineering at the University of Texas. His determination to establish a Beaux-Arts design oriented curriculum in a heavily emphasized engineering curriculum placed him at odds with the administration. He served as adjunct professor from 1910 to 1915 and founded the architecture library, which became one of the most important collections in the country.

He maintained his residence in Austin and entered private practice in 1915. His firms were Kuehne, Chasey and Giesecke (1915–17), Kuehne and Chasey (1917–19), H. F. Kuehne (1919–42), Giesecke, Kuehne and Brooks (1942), and Kuehne, Brooks and Barr (1942–1960). During the Great Depression Kuehne held supervisory positions with the United States Department of the Interior.

Kuehne served as president of the Austin Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) twice. In 1944 he was named an AIA Fellow. In 1961, after 53 years of practice, Kuehne retired. He died in Austin on November 23, 1963.

Kuehne was responsible for the design of many Austin public buildings. This list includes the Old Austin Library (1933), the Department of Public Safety Building (1952) and the Commodore Perry Hotel (1950). His Beaux-Arts style design was a major force in the shaping of Austin's visual image.

From the guide to the Hugo Franz Kuehne Records and Drawings AR. 2009. 024., 1896-1971, 1917-1955, (Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, )