Next week, Wednesday, September 25, we’re gathering at Saint Peter’s Church in midtown Manhattan for A Tribute to Theo (our first-ever gala) to celebrate Theo Prudon and kick off the new Theo Prudon Fund for Preservation Education. It's going to be a memorable evening in a gorgeous, modern space. As we look forward to the event, I’d like to focus my President’s Column this month on Theo, and my appreciation for his steadfast leadership and his dedication to preservation, education, Modernism, and Docomomo US. 

Theo came to the US from the Netherlands to get a graduate degree in historic preservation. At that time, there were only three such degree programs in the world: one in Copenhagen, Denmark; one in Ankara, Turkey; and one in New York City, at Columbia University. Luckily for us, Theo chose Columbia – and never left. He first got a master’s degree there, then a PhD. His teaching career started while he was in the PhD program, and he has taught at Columbia for almost 50 years and at Pratt Institute for almost 40 years.

Theo has also maintained his own architecture practice for decades, through which he has helped to preserve iconic buildings across the US, including the Woolworth Building in New York City; the New York State Capitol in Albany; and the First Presbyterian Church (Fish Church) in Stamford, Connecticut. Theo was one of the founding members of the new Docomomo US working party that incorporated in 1997 and would become its longest-standing president, providing steadfast leadership that has seen the growth of Docomomo US to the largest working party in the world.

Theo and Docomomo US are inextricably linked. For many years the lines between Theo as an educator, architect, and leader of our organization blurred in productive ways. Theo’s students became Docomomo US interns, and as the organization grew under his leadership, interns became paid staff – a certain intern, Liz Wayktus, became our executive director. Docomomo US staff worked out of Theo’s architecture office, using his Wi-Fi, desk space, and taking advantage of his immense library of books about architecture and preservation. Even as we spread our wings and grew out of our home at Prudon and Partners, we continued to owe a debt of gratitude to Theo for the stability and resources that he provided the organization for almost 25 years.

What better way to celebrate Theo’s impact on Docomomo US and preservation at large than through an education fund, which  provides scholarships and other resources to students just starting their journey in the field. Theo has always been an architect but perhaps, first and foremost, he is a mentor and teacher. His dedication to education has permeated nearly everything we do at Docomomo US, from educating the public about the importance of modernism through our advocacy efforts to providing a stage for the dissemination of thought leadership through our annual symposia. As the current Docomomo US board of directors contemplated ways to celebrate Theo’s impact on the organization and the field at large, our focus – as well as Theo’s – immediately zeroed in on education.

We do hope to see you next week at A Tribute to Theo and to raise a glass together as we celebrate Theo Prudon. Please consider making a donation to the Theo Prudon Fund for Preservation Education, which ensures that the legacy of preservation education at Docomomo US continues for generations to come.