Theodore M. SandersAIA (March 13, 1879 – June 10, 1947) was an American architect in practice in Little Rock, Arkansas from 1905 until his death in 1947. From 1927 to 1938 he was a partner of Charles L. Thompson, Arkansas' preeminent architect of the early twentieth century.
Life and career
Theodore Marcus Sanders was born March 13, 1879 in Little Rock to Fred Sanders and Fannie Sanders, who were German immigrants. Sanders attended the Little Rock public schools and was educated at the University of Illinois, graduating in 1902 with a BS in architecture. He then joined the office of architect Frank W. Gibb in Little Rock, for whom he had worked between school terms. During the year 1904–05 he traveled in Europe, and upon his return formed the partnership of Gibb & Sanders with Gibb.[1] The work of the partnership includes the Robert E. Lee School (1907) in Little Rock. The partnership was dissolved in 1909, and Sanders opened his own office.[2][3][4]
In 1920 Sanders formed the partnership of Sanders & Ginocchio with Frank J. Ginocchio Jr. Ginocchio had also been educated at Illinois and had worked with Sanders for Gibb and for Charles L. Thompson.[5] Sanders was the partner in charge of design, while Ginocchio was in charge of construction supervision and client services. Their work includes the First Presbyterian Church (1923) in Newport. In 1927 they merged their practice with that of Thompson, forming Thompson, Sanders & Ginocchio. Thompson had largely retired by the mid-1930s, and withdrew completely in 1938. Sanders & Ginocchio continued until Sanders also withdrew in 1941. Ginocchio continued the firm in partnership with Edwin B. Cromwell and Sanders returned to individual practice. His work was reduced by World War II but he continued to work until his death in 1947.[3][4]
Sanders was a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and was a charter member of the Arkansas chapter in 1921. He served the chapter in several roles including president.[3][4]
Personal life
Sanders' education was funded by his sister, Sophie, who had married Zadek Otto Solmitz, a wealthy German Jewish merchant. Sanders was married twice: first to Irene Pareira in 1907, who died in 1916, and second to Annette Joseph in 1921. He had two children with his first wife. Sanders was Jewish and was a member of the Congregation B’nai Israel and a director of the Jewish Welfare Agency, now the Jewish Federation of Arkansas. In 1937 he took in a foster son, Friedrich Cohn, who had fled the Nazi regime in Germany. Sanders died June 10, 1947 in Little Rock at the age of 68.[3][4]
At least nineteen works designed by Sanders, independently and with Gibb and Ginocchio, but exluding with Thompson, have been listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places. Others contribute to listed historic districts.
^ abcdCharles Witsell and Gordon Wittenberg, "Theodore M. Sanders" in Architects of Little Rock, 1833-1950 (Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 2014): 67-69.
^Charles Witsell and Gordon Wittenberg, "Frank Ginocchio" in Architects of Little Rock, 1833-1950 (Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 2014): 85-87.
