Henry Clinton Parrent Jr. (August 6, 1902 – September 30, 1967) was an American architect from

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to ...

. He designed buildings listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and t ...

and

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, including the

Tennessee State Library and Archives The Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA), established in 1854, currently operates as a unit of the Tennessee Department of State. According to the Tennessee Blue Book, the Library and Archives "collects and preserves books and records of hi ...

and the Richard Halliburton Memorial Tower on the

Rhodes College Rhodes College is a private liberal arts college in Memphis, Tennessee. Historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), it is a member of the Associated Colleges of the South and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges ...

campus.

Early life and education

Parrent was born circa 1902 in

Davidson County, Tennessee Davidson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located in the heart of Middle Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 715,884, making it the second most populous county in Tennessee. Its county seat is Nashvill ...

. He attended

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...

, and he earned a bachelor in Fine Arts from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universit ...

. He earned a doctor of Fine Arts from

in 1958.

Career

Parrent designed several buildings in Nashville, including the Central State Hospital and the

Nashville Electric Service Nashville Electric Service is one of the 12 largest public electric utilities in the United States, distributing energy to more than 370,000 customers in Middle Tennessee. The NES service area covers , all of Nashville/ Davidson County and portion ...

. In 1952, designed the

, with a Neoclassical portico. It is listed on the

. Parrent designed several buildings on the campus of Southwestern College (now known as

) in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the County seat, seat of Shelby County, Tennessee, Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 Uni ...

, including the Richard Halliburton Memorial Tower in the

Gothic Revival style Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

, completed in 1961. It is listed on the

as part of the Southwestern at Memphis Historic District. In

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

, Parrent designed the Texas Library and Archives. Parrent served as the president of the Tennessee chapter of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to ...

Personal life and death

Parrent married Mary Williamson, and they had two daughters. They resided at 520 Westview Avenue in

Belle Meade, Tennessee Belle Meade is a city in Davidson County, Tennessee. Its total land area is , and its population was 2,912 at the time of the 2010 census. Belle Meade operates independently as a city, complete with its own regulations, a city hall, and police f ...

, and Parrent was a member of the Belle Meade Country Club. Parrent died on September 30, 1967, in Belle Meade, at 65. His funeral was held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, and he was buried in the Mount Olivet Cemetery.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Parrent, H. Clinton Jr. 1902 births 1967 deaths People from Belle Meade, Tennessee Vanderbilt University alumni University of Pennsylvania alumni Rhodes College alumni Architects from Tennessee 20th-century American architects Burials at Mount Olivet Cemetery (Nashville)