Last week, CGD was saddened with the news that our co-founder, Earle Gaulden, passed away at the young age of 94. Earle was a complex man and a mentor to many. While we could reflect voluminously on his life and career, three brief thoughts come to mind:
Beethoven, Books, and the Bottom Line
All who worked at CGD in the late 1900’s were spectators to Earle’s love of classical music. When asked who his favorite composer was, he quickly responded, “no question, Beethoven.” His passion transformed the musical tastes of many of us through the years. We all knew that if he felt strongly about it, we should seek to treasure it in our own lives. While the music itself is very complex, it is made simple to the ear. This is a wonderful synopsis of Earle’s work in design – complex ideas, made simple. How beautiful it was to hear that he attended the Greenville Symphony’s concert in recent weeks to see Beethoven’s 9th.
Earle loved books and was a voracious reader who loved the public library. His most significant contribution to South Carolina was his design work on over fifty libraries. When meeting with library clients, he would peruse the new materials section and scribble notes of books that he wanted to read. It could almost be believed he had read the entire collection of many libraries. His home was filled with great books. He talked intelligently about the subject matter of many genres, able to connect big themes and ideas with the everyday events of the world.
Earle never sidestepped difficult challenges and had a charming way of moving all discussions toward the bottom line – quickly and efficiently – in a manner that was agreeable to all parties. His diplomacy was legendary, even as his tolerance for wasted words was quite low. Full of integrity and honesty, he would listen closely and effortlessly bringing multiple points of view into alignment. Even as the leader, he was always deferential to others, never seeking glory for himself. His goal was to make things better.
Earle Gaulden made a lot of things better. The world will miss his touch.
A tribute by David Dixon, AIA, Chairman
