The Forgotten Modernism of James William Oglesby III

This article examines the life and three principal works of designer James William Oglesby III of Springdale, Arkansas. Though Oglesby was only trained as an interior decorator, he managed to create designs that stand out as masterworks of organic architecture in the state of Arkansas. These designs were featured in international publications and were common sites of visitation for architects and architecture students alike. Additionally, he was also instrumental in the creation of the trendsetting University of Oklahoma's architecture school curriculum in the early 1950s. However, Oglesby was also practicing during a period when there was an explosion in the architectural field of new architects, all busily trying to make a name for themselves. The unfortunate result was that Oglesby's life and work became lost to the annals of history amidst this flood of young professionals—that was until recently. Merging research from personal interviews with friends and clients of Oglesby, property records, known architectural designs, and historical accounts from periodicals and publications of the period, this paper pieces together the story of Oglesby's life and attempts to shine a light on the remarkable work of this once- forgotten designer.