Alvis Owen
George Jr.

(1929–2001)

Born in Roanoke Rapids NC, George exhibited early talent in painting, drawing, and music. He was in the first class of the new 1948 School of Design at NCSU under Henry Kamphoefner. He and others turned an old industrial space on Hillsborough Street into a huge loft apartment which became the school's social center. When Mies Van Der Rohe came to visit the construction of Dorton Arena, he was invited to George's apartment, a walkup on Hillsborough Street. Mies consumed a whole bottle of cognac. He was so far gone that he fell down the stairs and the students thought he was dead. After a few moments, Mies got up and acted as if nothing had happened, and walked off.

George was also close friends with architects Robert Burns, George Matsumoto, and Gil Slack. After graduation, George served as an officer in the Air Force during Korea. Then George embarked upon a passionate and prolific design career spanning five decades. He worked for Carter Williams in Raleigh until 1960 when he moved to Asheboro to be Director of Design for J. Hyatt Hammond. In that capacity, he designed the 1964 Asheboro Public Library, and more than twenty elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools, including the Weaver Career Education Center in Greensboro. George played a major part in the development of the North Carolina Zoological Park. That Zoo won the North American Society Landscape Architects Award of Merit.George designed more than 20 buildings at community colleges, including Wilkes Community College, Guilford Technical Community College, Randolph Community College, McDowell Community College, and Stanly Community College. After that, he was Chief Architectural Designer for the local office of Black & Veatch, designing Farmer Elementary School and Seagrove Elementary School. He began his independent practice in 1991, designing a major addition to the Asheboro Public Library and the Headquarters Facility for Randolph Electric Membership Corporation. His designs for the Asheboro Public Library, Peoples Savings & Loan Association, and Wilkes Community College won the NCAIA Award of Merit. Tribute website.