IN MEMORIAM
CHARLES WELDON YORK
Dr. Charles Weldon York, professor emeritus in human ecology
at The University of Texas at Austin, died March 3, 2004, from
the effects of colon cancer. Born July 26, 1924, in Panhandle,
Texas, he was the youngest of nine children of Dr. Orphus and
Mrs. Bertha Richardson. In September 1941, Charles entered UT
Austin, but his studies were interrupted two years later, in
November 1943, when he joined the United States Navy. After serving
aboard several ships in the amphibious forces in the Pacific
Ocean, he was honorably discharged from military service in April
1946.
Upon reentering UT Austin in September 1946, Dr. York majored
in interior design and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in
May 1949. Charles was the first male student to receive a degree
in interior design and home economics at UT Austin. He was a
member of the Rho Chapter of Theta Xi social fraternity, Omicron
Nu Home Economics Honor Society, and the UT Longhorn Band.
Charles enrolled in New York University in September 1949 and
received a master’s degree in retailing in June 1950. He
returned to Texas and accepted a position with Neiman Marcus
in Dallas in the Decorative Gallery and Gift Shop. In 1952, Charles
accepted a position as a faculty member in the Interior Design
Division in the Department of Home Economics at UT Austin. He
was the first male to hold a faculty position in that department.
He was a member of the American Institute of Interior Designers
and the National Society of Interior Designers. During his tenure
as a faculty member he began working toward a Ph.D. in housing
at Cornell University in New York. Ultimately, he received his
Ph.D. from Florida State University in June 1967.
Dr. York was promoted through the ranks of assistant, associate,
and full professor at UT Austin. Following Dr. Anna Brightman’s
retirement from the position as head of the Interior Design Division
in May 1981, Charles assumed the role as head of the division
for two years. Upon his retirement in 1985, he had served on
the faculty of UT Austin for a total of thirty-three years.
His first trip to London was prior to his attending the National
Trust School for Preservation at Attingham England in 1972. He
spent several days walking in London so he would be quite familiar
with the city. He fell in love with London and was always delighted
to share his knowledge of London with potential travelers. Dr.
York loved to travel and toured most of Europe; the Scandinavian
countries; St. Petersburg, Russia; Turkey; Cairo, Egypt; Australia;
New Zealand; China; Thailand; Chili; and Argentina. In addition,
he visited forty-nine of the fifty states and went on several
ocean cruises.
Charles enjoyed music, museums, theater, opera, cooking, gardening,
and his dogs. He collected cloisonné, Wedgwood china,
Georgian silver, oriental art, glass paperweights, and other
artwork. Across the University campus, he was considered an objet
d’art expert and consulted with the curators at the
Humanities Research Center and the Winedale Center for American
History. He also generously shared his expertise with organizations
and individuals within the broader Austin community. Known as
a collector and expert regarding fine accessories, Charles designed
for Florence Vickers a Texas—The Lonestar State plate.
Florence owned a gift shop on Guadalupe and held exclusive rights
to market the plate. Later, she also allowed the plate to be
marketed at a gift shop in Salado, Texas. The plate was produced
by the Fondeville china factory.
For approximately three decades from the mid-1950s through
the 1970s, Charles was considered chief curator of the special
historic rooms within the Mary E. Gearing building on campus.
When the building was originally designed by Paul Cret and Miss
Mary E. Gearing, the first chairperson of the Department of Home
Economics (now the Department of Human Ecology), Miss Gearing
specified special historic rooms to be designed within the building.
These rooms were to depict early Texans’ homes during pioneer
settlement and the Texas Republic eras. Today, a two-room Republic
of Texas Suite is what remains of these original spaces in Mary
E. Gearing Hall.<
In 1960, utilizing his expertise as an interior designer, Charles
worked closely with President Harry H. Ransom and his wife redesigning
the interior of the president’s residence. Charles had
a warm association with Mrs. Ransom—they got along splendidly.
His design expertise was appreciated by the Ransoms as they continued
their administrative appointment onto the Chancellorship of the
UT system in 1961. Charles worked with Mrs. Ransom in redesigning
the various rooms of Bauer house while the family resided there.
Dr. York’s interest in genealogy allowed him to trace
his family back to 15th century England. He is survived by a sister,
Bertha Sybil Harrell (Mrs. Glynn D. Harrell) of Amarillo, Texas,
and many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and great-great
nieces and nephews. He was survived by his significant companion
of forty-eight years, Wayne E. Richards of Austin, Texas. After
the Division of Interior Design was moved to the School of Architecture
(SOA) in 1997, the SOA established the Brightman-York Endowed Lecture
Series in Interior Design in August 1999. Since that time the lecture
series has been able to bring renowned interior design speakers,
such as Aubrey Clodagh and Petra Blaisse, to campus.
<signed>
Larry R. Faulkner, President
The University of Texas at Austin
<signed>
Sue Alexander Greninger, Secretary
The General Faculty
This memorial resolution was prepared by a special committee consisting of Professors
Beth Gillham (chair), Nancy P. Kwallek, and Ardis M. Rewerts.
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