Edward J. Schulte (April 27, 1890 – June 7, 1975) was an architect who designed a number of mid-twentieth-century churches notable for their blending of a modern idiom with traditional function. Inspired by an encounter with Ralph Adams Cram, he devoted himself to building church buildings, designing over 88. He served as president of the Cincinnati chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Schulte had a sole practice after 1912, then practiced with Robert E. Crowe from 1921–1923, and practiced alone after that to 1967.

Early life and education

Edward Schulte displayed a talent for drawing early on and was encouraged to pursue it by the nuns in the parochial school he attended as a child. His father, a building contractor, wanted him to take up architecture instead, suggesting him to the firm of Werner and Adkins, who had designed a Carnegie library for Norwood. (Schulte’s father was one of three trustees to build it.) Schulte began working for Werner and Adkins during the day while attending classes at the Art Academy at night, eventually becoming a valued member of the firm with a special skill for watercolor renderings of proposed projects for client presentations. Before long, however, Werner and Adkins began to suffer from financial problems, temporarily loaning Schulte out to another firm before bringing him back upon securing a new partner – H.E. Kennedy – and several new commissions, among them an office building for New Orleans.

Early career

Kennedy was awarded the commission to design the Sheridan Square Theatre, an elegant new addition to the prominent Harris family of theaters in downtown Pittsburgh, and the project was eventually delegated to Schulte. This commission would require him to spend long nights in the library researching precedents for the relatively new building typology. His inherent proficiency in this genre of building evidently foreshadowed what would become a staple of his approach to church architecture: that it must visually and acoustically magnify the theatric nature of divine liturgy. Among the draftsmen for the project was Robert E. Crowe, who would later become Schulte's partner and most important collaborator. Upon the success of the Harris Theatre project, Kennedy moved his office to Pittsburgh, bringing Schulte along with him. It was during this time that Schulte attended a candlelit lecture by Ralph Adams Cram at the Hall of Architecture in the Carnegie Museum, inspiring him to focus on churches over the remainder of his career. Schulte is the only architect in history to design five cathedrals. Those completed include: He also designed a cathedral for Lincoln, Nebraska which was fully-planned, approved, but thereafter abandoned by the diocese prior to groundbreaking due to unrelated complications. His complete overhaul of the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Peter in Chains in Cincinnati (which effectively preserved only its corinthian portico and titanic spire) rightfully elevates his cathedral count to a staggering six. Additionally, he also directed a significant renovation of the nearby Cathedral-Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, though this project did not warrant the scale of demolition and reconstruction required in the aforementioned renovation of St. Peter's across the river.

List of buildings designed or overseen

This list of Schulte's work was compiled by Donald A. Tenoever: ROBERT CROWE & EDWARD SCHULTE (1921–1934) EDWARD SCHULTE (1934–1967) 1935–1936 1936–1937 1938–1939 1939–1940 1941–1942 1942–1943 1944–1945 1945–1946 1947–1948 1949–1950 1951–1952 1953–1955 1956–1958 1959–1961 1962–1964 1965–1967

Gallery

Publications

Other references