Inspiring Architects: The Steedman Legacy at 100

For one hundred years, the Steedman Fellowship has inspired architects to expand their education through travel, observation, research, and independent inquiry. The fellowship was founded on the belief that firsthand experience offers lessons that cannot be learned in the classroom alone. As architecture and society have changed, the fellowship has evolved with them—from the Grand Tour tradition of studying historic monuments, to documenting architecture during periods of global conflict, to expanding opportunities for new voices and embracing research as a creative design practice. Together, these drawings, photographs, journals, models, and competition entries trace a century of architectural exploration and demonstrate the fellowship’s enduring influence on architectural education.

This exhibition was organized in conjunction with the Saint Louis Public Library and the College of Architecture at Sam Fox. Exhibitions on campus celebrating the anniversary of the Steedman Fellowship will be on view in the Newman Tower and Special Collections Reading Room in Olin Library, as well as in the Kranzberg Art and Architecture Library. A companion exhibition at St. Louis Public Library’s Central Location celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Steedman Library.

Steedman Legacy exhibitions and events are organized by the Steedman Centennial planning committee along with University Archivist Sonya Rooney and interns Carlos Cepeda Gomez, Jimin Kim, Phoebe Radke, Lillie Boero, and Hannah Carbunaru.