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Retro beard: Professor James Sturgis Pray

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Retro Beards poster: Professor James Sturgis Pray

A pioneer in Landscape Architecture and a beard grower: Professor James Sturgis Pray

Born in Boston, Massachusetts on February 26, 1871, James Sturgis Pray was raised and educated in the Boston area. His landscape architecture career was also based in the Boston area. He was a pioneering leader who helped develop the foundation for formal education programs in the field of landscape architecture and guided the profession in its early stages.

James Sturgis Pray was married in 1901 to Florence Mabel Nichols. The couple had two children: Benjamin Sturgis Pray and Frances Motley Pray.

James Sturgis Pray apparently was an avid beard grower. It’s unknown when he grew his first beard and whether he remained bearded continuously from there on out. In the handful of photos that I found of him, he always had his big walrus mustache along with some form of beard. The photo of Pray in this post shows him fully bearded, with the walrus mustache. Other photos have shown him apparently with only the mustache and a goatee. At least one photo showed him with the walrus mustache, the goatee, and with the rest of the beard and sideburns maintained as thick stubble.

Retro beard: Professor Jame Sturgis Pray, featured beard image 2
Professor James Sturgis Pray with his full beard, including his Walrus-style mustache. This portrait of Professor Pray was published in newspapers in 1916. Photo courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [LC-DIG-ggbain-21565]. Click on image to view larger.

The photo above was published in various newspapers in 1916. That was thirteen years before his passing in 1929.

Education

Chauncy Hall School, Boston, Massachusetts

Young Pray was an outstanding and popular student.

  • 1887: Won gold medal in drill sergeants’ competition. Pray also won the Chauncy Hall Association gold medal for being voted “best boy in the school” by the other students.
  • 1888: Received captain military commission.

Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts

  • 1891: Began his studies at Harvard.
  • 1894: Withdrew from Harvard for health reasons.
  • 1896: Returned to Harvard to resume his studies.
  • 1898: Received his A.B. degree, designated “as of 1895”.

During 1897 and 1898, while at Harvard, Pray pursued specialized studies at the Lawrence Scientific school and Bussey Institute. These studies helped to pave the way for establishing the new profession of landscape architecture.

Professional Career

Private practice

  • 1898 to 1903: Worked in landscape architecture at the firm of the renowned Olmsted Brothers.
  • 1903 to 1918: Pray had his own firm: at first solo, and later with partners.

Landscape Architecture education

Overlapping with Pray’s private practice was his growing career as an educator at Harvard. Starting in 1903 as an Assistant in Landscape Architecture, he became an Instructor in 1903, an Assistant Professor in 1905, Department Chairman in 1908, and then Chairman of the Council of the new Graduate School of Landscape Architecture. In 1915 he was appointed the Charles Eliot Professor of Landscape Architecture, a position he held until his 1929 passing. Earlier, in 1928 he resigned as the graduate school chairman for health reasons.

Professor Pray was not only a trailblazer in the creation of educational programs for the emerging field of landscape architecture, but he also taught the first course in the United States on the subject of city planning. This first course led to the development of a degree program in city planning at Harvard. Professor Pray also supported education programs for women and encouraged them to enter the field of landscape architecture.

Professional activities

Professor Pray was involved in a wide variety of activities related to landscape architecture and nature.

  • 1896: Listed as secretary of the Columbine Association which had been formed recently to campaign for the columbine to be officially adopted as the National Flower of the United States. As secretary of the Association, he was widely quoted nationwide for making the case for the columbine flower.
  • 1898: Elected as a member of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.
  • 1899: As a member, Professor Pray attended the American Forestry Association‘s national convention in Los Angeles, California.
  • 1902: Confirmed as a councilor for the Appalachian Mountain Club.
  • 1911: Became a Trustee of the American Society of Landscape Architects. He also served as Vice President from 1913 to 1915, and President from 1915 to 1920.
  • 1913: Became the first Vice President of the new Boston Society of Landscape Architects and was President by 1914.
  • 1917: Traveled to Fort Riley, Kansas to present a preliminary overall plan for a “soldier city” to house fifty thousand soldiers.
  • 1920: Listed as a Trustee of the American Academy in Rome, Italy. He later worked to establish the first Fellowship in Landscape Architecture at the Academy.
  • 1921: Went on a tour of all national parks and national monuments for the purpose of preparing and presenting an unofficial report to Stephen Mather, Director of the National Park Service.

Legacy

Professor Pray was a true pioneer in the development of the field of landscape architecture and the educational programs to maintain and advance it. His leadership was exemplary. His influence spread far and wide. His students spread his teachings even further. They demonstrated and taught Professor Pray’s ideas by:

  • the practice of landscape architecture, implementing Pray’s teachings in completed works
  • teaching his ideas and concepts in degree programs throughout the land
  • running undergraduate schools of landscape architecture

The results of Professor Pray’s teachings can be seen through his own realized projects as well as those of his students who were taught by his students. His ideas continued to be passed on to generations of students beyond. He left behind a remarkable legacy of landscape architecture with the beauty of nature.

Colorizing beards from the past

Retro beard: Professor Jame Sturgis Pray, featured beard image 3
Professor James Sturgis Pray as he might appear in color. Click on image to view larger. Colorization: All About BEARDS.

As part of the Retro Beards project here on All About BEARDS, I am trying out colorizing antique photos that are available only in black and white. While the colors cannot be verified for accuracy, they give an idea of how the subject might look in color. Professor Pray, here, is the first example.

Retro beard: Professor Jame Sturgis Pray, featured beard images: from black and white to color
Side by side: Professor Pray in black and white versus Professor Pray in color. Click on image to view larger.

After an extended unexpected delay, Retro Beards is just now getting started. This is only the beginning. A lot more is on the way. There is a lot that we can learn from Retro Beards, our beard history.

Header photo at top of post: Professor Pray against a background photo of the remarkable Gilroy Gardens in Gilroy, California. Gilroy Gardens photo: All About BEARDS.

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Great beards of history!

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Bearded dad and author Kellen Roggenbuck is back with another beard book for children: Great Beards of History! Like his first book, My Dad Has a Beard, this paperback is under thirty pages and is colorfully illustrated with humorous drawings created by Roggenbuck himself. In this book, Roggenbuck presents a diverse selection of bearded figures from history, including bearded luminaries such as Mr. T and Abraham Lincoln. Funny tidbits accompany the drawings of each bearded icon to tell the story.

In addition to highlighting a number of famous beards, a secondary theme running through the book promotes dear old bearded dad as a famous beard hero as well. This reflects the message from Roggenbuck’s My Dad Has a Beard book. While both boys and girls should enjoy My Dad Has a Beard, Great Beards of History! is geared to appeal more to both girls and boys equally. All children should find this lighthearted look at great beards of history to be funny and entertaining.

Dad and author Kellen Roggenbuck shows off his new book Great Beards of History!
Dad and author Kellen Roggenbuck shows off his new book Great Beards of History!

The first reason that led Roggenbuck to create Great Beards of History! was his desire to create a more diverse beard book for children. The author explains, “This new book deals with beards from different time periods, different countries, different races, and even different genders. There’s a little beard for everyone. Second, I wanted to explore the sentiment that to our kids, we are all famous, remarkable people because we are their dads and that’s such an amazing, cool thing.”

I asked Roggenbuck about the kind of feedback he’s gotten on both books from parents and kids he knows. He replied, “The feedback has been incredible — I could never have imagined how far reaching this book would be and the outpouring of love and gratitude for My Dad Has a Beard. The overall reaction to the new book is that it’s a great book to laugh at and parents have really appreciated it at bedtime. Especially that 6th night of reading the same book over and over…”

Still a confirmed beard enthusiast, Roggenbuck reports that his beard continues to grow right along. He is looking forward to his first time to participate in a beard competition this year. He plans to compete in a local competition in September.

Great Beards of History! gives kids a fun look at a variety of bearded historic figures and fosters an appreciation for a local beard hero: Dad.

Don’t delay. Order your copy today! Great Beards of History! is now available on Amazon. Click or tap on the following image to buy your copy on Amazon:

My Dad Has a Beard is available on Amazon, too. Click or tap on the following image to buy yours on Amazon:

All about beards is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Photos appear courtesy of Kellen Roggenbuck.

Also see:
Book: My Dad Has a Beard, featured image
My dad has a beard!

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Of beards and men

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Of Beards and Men by Christopher Oldstone-Moore

Although this book by Christopher Oldstone-Moore on the history of facial hair came out in December of last year, I’ve not yet had the opportunity to read it.ย  I will now be reading it a time or two and will write a proper review of the book.ย  Meanwhile, if you are curious to learn more right now, take a look at the book on Amazon using the link below. The book is now available in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle versions.


All about beards is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

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Fourteen years of growing better beards — worldwide!

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On January 17, 1996, all about beards first appeared on the worldwide web.  The site started out on web space provided for AOL members.  The host name was members.aol.com.  On January 20, 2005, all about beards officially moved to its permanent home at beards.org.  The legacy all about beards site on members.aol.com was left up for sentimental reasons until AOL pulled the plug on it on October 31, 2008.  All that remains of the AOL site’s legacy is that the official site contact email address is still the original AOL email address that has been used since the January 1996 launch of all about beards.

Today on the site’s fourteenth anniversary, the site is bigger and stronger than ever, with the momentum ever increasing.  More importantly, the site has encouraged and inspired countless men around the world to experience the unique adventure of growing a beard with great success.   The site remains dedicated to “growing better beards worldwide”, “adding more beards to the world”, and increasing the acceptance of beards everywhere.  I’d like to thank all of the beard growers and supporters everywhere whose beard-growing contributions have strengthened all about beards and advanced the bearded cause around the world.

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happy new beard year 2010!

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Brian

I wish you much happiness and happy beard growing in 2010!ย  All about beards celebrates fourteen years on the web this month!ย  This continues the site’s reign as the longest-running beard site on the web.

On the first day of this new year, it’s a good time to stop and give thanks.ย  I am so thankful to all of the contributors from around the world who help make beards.org a shining showcase for beards, inspiring men around the globe to experience the joy of growing a beard.ย  Thank you, all.

Looking back, all about beards had some pretty lean years.ย  The message history for the all about beards Yahoo! group that’s been used to announce site updates since 2001 is telling.ย  Here is how it appeared at the end of 2009:

all about beards group message history 2001 -- 2009

The numbers represent the number of site updates announced each month.ย  By 2001, the supply of content dwindled down to a trickle.ย  In addition to the lack of new content, other problems impeded the site’s growth during those very lean years.ย  2001 through 2004 were especially barren because the beards of the world gallery did not debut until November of 2004 (originally called the bearded visitors gallery).

Eventually, digital cameras came to the rescue.ย  The proliferation of digital cameras worldwide made it easy for beard growers everywhere to send in photos for the gallery.ย  The beards of the world gallery has become the beating heart and pride of all about beards.

Thanks, everyone, for growing your beards!ย  And by all means, keep showing off those beards here on beards.org!ย  Send ’em in!

Have a wonderful 2010!ย  Happy new beard year!

about beards.org

End of an era in beard history

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The original All About BEARDS site:ย  January 17, 1996 — October 31, 2008.

Tomas

What is today the All About BEARDS site that resides here at beards.org appeared initially at the address http://members.aol.com/beardguy/ on the 17th of January 1996.ย  On the 20th of January of 2005, the all-new All About BEARDS site made its debut at its current www.beards.org address.ย  The old site was hosted on web space allocated to AOL members.

When the updated version of All About BEARDS opened at beards.org, I left the original up as a legacy site with pointers to the current site.ย  Today, AOL shut down all of its members’ sites, including the All About BEARDS legacy site.ย  So I am forced to bid a sentimental, fond farewell to the online presence of the early form of All About BEARDS.ย ย  Rest assured, however, that All About BEARDS will continue — stronger than ever — at beards.org: building the future by honoring the past.

I also have some housekeeping to do.  Actually, I never got completely weaned off of the old site, with a few features still residing there.  I have some extra work to do now to migrate those features here.