About

History:

Theodore “Ted” Criley, Jr., AIA, was born in Los Angeles in 1905, and attended school in California, Missouri, and France. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University in 1927, and attended USC’s School of Architecture from 1927 to 1929. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from MIT in 1930 , and became a licensed architect in California in 1937, though he opened a private practice in Los Angeles in 1936. In 1942, he became a member of the American Institute of Architects. During World War II, Criley left his private architecture practice in Los Angeles to serve as “a chief draftsman at U.S. naval bases and as an associate architect for numerous war housing projects.” After the war, Criley resumed his practice in Los Angeles. He lectured at Scripps College from 1944 to 1946, and at the USC School of Architecture from 1946 to 1947.

In 1951, Criley moved his practice to Claremont, and, in 1957, began a 24-year partnership with architect Fred W. McDowell, who had worked for Richard Neutra prior to entering Criley’s firm in 1952. In 1957, the firm received the Church Architectural Guild Honorable Mention Award for the Claremont United Church of Christ, Congregational, and, in 1961, they won the Church Architectural Guild Award for Holy Family Catholic Church in Orange, California. Criley was primarily interested in designing churches, colleges, and libraries. Throughout his 44 year career, Criley designed the master plan and many of the buildings for Pitzer College, and the master plan and several buildings and building additions for Claremont Graduate University, University Center, and Scripps College, all in Claremont. He also designed several Catholic schools in Southern California, including St. Michael’s Girls High School in Los Angeles. Criley, either alone or with others, designed almost 500 buildings, “many of them major, high profile commissions photographed by Julius Shulman,” about 450 alterations, and around 150 minor projects and alterations.

Criley was “the lead architect for colleges, churches, libraries, city halls, government buildings, residences, housing developments, hotels, auto body dealerships, and schools through Los Angeles, and Southern California,” and was a renowned Modernist architect. Criley was particularly prolific in the east San Gabriel Valley. He “was the architect or co-architect of more than 1,000 completed projects,] many now acknowledged as some of the area’s most important civic structures, including colleges churches, houses, businesses, and schools.” (US Department of the Interior, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form 10-900, OMB No. 1024-0018, 2014)

Mrs. Harold M. (Edith) Field who lived here was a member of the Los Feliz Woman’s Club from 1951-1966. (Source: Los Feliz Woman’s Club rosters).

1940 Census:
3745 Lowry Road (Value $13,000): 1) Theodore Criley, Jr., head of household; white married male 34 years of age; born in California; architect in his own business. 2) Margaret F. Criley, wife; white married female 31 years of age; born in California; not working. 3) Donald F. Criley, son; white male 10 years of age; born in Massachusetts; in school. 4) Michael Criley, son; white male 8 years of age; born in California; in school.