Harold Richard Varner, , (1935–2013) was an American architect, active in Detroit. Varner was a leader within the Black architectural firm Sims–Varner (now known as SDG Associates).

Early life and education

Harold Richard Varner was born on August 22, 1935 in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from

Cass Technical High School Cass Technical High School (simply referred to as Cass Tech) is a public high school in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, United States.

in Detroit. Varner attended

Lawrence Institute of Technology Lawrence Technological University (LTU) (Lawrence Tech) is a private university in Southfield, Michigan. It was founded in 1932 in Highland Park, Michigan, as the Lawrence Institute of Technology (LIT) by Russell E. Lawrence. The university move ...

(now Lawrence Technological University) and graduated with a

B.S. A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

degree in architectural engineering (1965). He was married to Nancy Elizabeth Hunter, and they had two daughters.

Career

In 1967, Varner became a licensed architect in the state of Michigan. He joined the architectural firm Howard Sims & Associates in 1973; the firm was founded in 1964 by Black architect

Howard Sims Howard "Sandman" Sims (January 24, 1917 – May 20, 2003) was an African-American tap dancer who began his career in vaudeville. He was skilled in a style of dancing that he performed in a wooden sandbox of his own construction, and acquired ...

in Detroit. By 1976, the firm name was changed to Sims–Varner to reflect a new Varner partnership, and Varner was named as the executive vice president. He designed (with Sims–Varner) many notable buildings and structures including the

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, or The Wright, is located in Detroit, Michigan in the U.S.; inside the city's Midtown Cultural Center is one of the world's oldest independent African American museums. Founded in 1965, ...

(1985);

University of Michigan School of Social Work The University of Michigan School of Social Work is a professional school within the University of Michigan located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. History A formal curriculum in social work was first offered by the University of Michigan College o ...

(1997); and the

Millender Center station Millender Center station is a Detroit People Mover station in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is located inside the Millender Center complex at Level 5. It serves the Courtyard by Marriott hotel and residential apartments. The building is also ...

(1987), a

Detroit People Mover The Detroit People Mover (DPM) is a elevated automated people mover system in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The system operates in a one-way loop on a single track encircling downtown Detroit, using Intermediate Capacity Transit Syst ...

station and sky bridge. Varner was part of the

AIA AIA or A.I.A. or Aia may refer to: Aia * Aia, a small town in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, Spain * Aia, current Kutaisi, ancient capital of Colchis * Aia, another name for Aea (Malis), an ancient town in Greece * ''Aia'', the collected edi ...

National Housing Committee, from 1970 until 1973. In the 1970s, Varner was interested in modifying the government run apartment subsidy plans (like

HUD Hud or HUD may refer to: Entertainment * Hud (1963 film), ''Hud'' (1963 film), a 1963 film starring Paul Newman * Hud (1986 film), ''Hud'' (1986 film), a 1986 Norwegian film * HUD (TV program), ''HUD'' (TV program), or ''Heads Up Daily'', a Canadi ...

's section 236). Varner served on the Michigan State Licensing Board for Architects, from 1978 until 1991. an
pg. 17
/ref> When he stepped down from the state licensing board role, he warned of potential issues with unlicensed builders in Michigan. He was honored as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1981. He served as an honorary

Consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states th ...

General to the

Republic of Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

, West Africa. Varner died after a long illness on December 14, 2013 at

Harper University Hospital Harper University Hospital is one of eight hospitals and institutes that compose the Detroit Medical Center. Harper offers services in a broad range of clinical areas, including cardiology, neurology, neurosurgery, organ transplant, plastic surge ...

in Detroit.

Awards and honors

Varner won the following awards * Lambda lota Tau Award, Academic Excellence, 1963 * Alumni Achievement Award, Lawrence Technological University, 1971 * Black Alumni Excellence Award, Lawrence Technological University, 1980

References

External links

Official website for SDG Associates
{{DEFAULTSORT:Varner, Harold 1935 births 2013 deaths 20th-century American architects 21st-century American architects 20th-century African-American businesspeople 21st-century African-American businesspeople African-American architects African-American history of Michigan Architects from Detroit Cass Technical High School alumni Fellows of the American Institute of Architects Lawrence Technological University alumni