Lois Craig, associate dean of the School of Architecture + Planning in the 1980s and early 1990s, died March 23 in Chicago after a long illness. She was 82.
A trusted and valued adviser to many architecture students and graduates during her years at MIT, Craig was respected for her intellectual contributions to her field as much as for her understanding of administrative issues. In nominating her to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1989, the Boston Society of Architects said that Craig had made "an unusually comprehensive contribution to our profession, to the art and science of architecture and to the public."
Before coming to MIT in 1978, Craig was director of the Federal Architecture Project at the National Endowment for the Arts, the U.S. government’s effort to improve federal building programs. In that pioneering role she contributed to the development of new designer-selection procedures, new legislation governing public building and the first comprehensive history of federal government architecture. The Federal Presence: Architecture, Politics and National Design — developed with the staff of the Federal Architecture Project — was published by MIT Press in 1978.
Previously, she served as professional staff for the National Urban Coalition, Housing and Urban Growth Division, interpreting the impact of legislation, court decision, government programs and local initiatives on land use and housing opportunities. Before that, she was research director for the communications division of Urban America, Inc., and senior editor at CITY Magazine.
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A trusted and valued adviser to many architecture students and graduates during her years at MIT, Craig was respected for her intellectual contributions to her field as much as for her understanding of administrative issues. In nominating her to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1989, the Boston Society of Architects said that Craig had made "an unusually comprehensive contribution to our profession, to the art and science of architecture and to the public."
Before coming to MIT in 1978, Craig was director of the Federal Architecture Project at the National Endowment for the Arts, the U.S. government’s effort to improve federal building programs. In that pioneering role she contributed to the development of new designer-selection procedures, new legislation governing public building and the first comprehensive history of federal government architecture. The Federal Presence: Architecture, Politics and National Design — developed with the staff of the Federal Architecture Project — was published by MIT Press in 1978.
Previously, she served as professional staff for the National Urban Coalition, Housing and Urban Growth Division, interpreting the impact of legislation, court decision, government programs and local initiatives on land use and housing opportunities. Before that, she was research director for the communications division of Urban America, Inc., and senior editor at CITY Magazine.
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