William Le Baron Jenney: Father of the Skyscraper

Early Life

• Born September 25, 1832 in Fairhaven, Massachusetts
• Attended the Phillips Academy as a teenager
• Father owned a whaling boat

The trip that changed it all

Later Years

William Le Baron Jenney: Father of the Skyscraper

• Died in L.A. on June 14, 1907

• Traveled with his father on trade route
• California, South America, Hawaii, and the Philippines
• Saw the Filipino way of building lightweight bamboo structures sturdy enough to withstand tropical storms

Jenney's life influenced the way all of the biggest cities in the world now look

Working Life

Working Life (cont.)

• Accepted into Harvard, later left disappointed with the program
• Traveled to France to go to L'ecole Centrale des Arts et Manufactures
• Worked on railroad in Mexico
• Became a Major in the Civil War
• Moved to Chicago to start Architecture Offices
• Taught at The University of Michigan

• Was made city planner for the city of Chicago
• Designed the Home Insurance Building