Charles colbert biography

Architect Charles Colbert’s contributions to the shaping of mid-twentieth century architecture in southern Louisiana are profound. Born in Oklahoma and raised in Texas, Colbert spent much of his career in New Orleans, where he designed a series of innovative schools. Rooted in contemporary materials and technologies and the aesthetics of modernism, his designs acknowledged regional historical forms while modifying them for contemporary needs and society. Perhaps more important than Colbert’s physical architectural legacy, though, was his significance as a planner, theorist, educator, and critic.

Early Life and Career

Charles Ralph Colbert was born June 23, 1921, in Dow, Oklahoma, and raised in Alvin, Texas. He earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree at the University of Texas, Austin, in 1943 and did postgraduate work in naval architecture at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor from 1944 to 1945. He concluded his studies in 1947 with a Master of Science in Architecture from Columbia University. From 1943 to 1946, Colbert served in the U.S. Navy Construction Corps.

Colbert taught architecture at Tulane University from 1947 to 1949, leaving to take the position of supervising architect and director of the newly created Office of Planning and Construction for the Orleans Parish School Board. The position was established to resolve the deplorable conditions of the parish’s existing schools and the overcrowding generated by the post–World War II baby boom. During his directorship, Colbert prepared a study of short- and long-term needs for the parish’s schools. Subsequently, thirty new schools were constructed in the 1950s and 1960s. Colbert resigned from the position in 1952 to establish his own architectural office in New Orleans.

Practice in New Orleans

Colbert’s practice consisted primarily of schools, houses, small office buildings, motels, and urban planning in the New Orleans area. For some of his commissions he partnered with such architects as

Charles Joachim Colbert (11 June 1667 – 8 April 1738) was a bishop of Montpellier from 1697.

He was a son of Charles Colbert, marquis de Croissy and a nephew of Jean-Baptiste Colbert.
As an ardent Jansenist he had père François-Aimé Pouget edit the noted Catéchisme de Montpellier. His writings were condemned by Rome. He was also part of the 'Appelant' movement alongside Jean Soanen, Pierre de La Broue and Pierre de Langle, calling for a church council to discuss the papal bull Unigenitus.

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Bouillet, Marie-Nicolas; Chassang, Alexis, eds. (1878). Dictionnaire Bouillet (in French).

French statesman (1625–1696)

Charles Colbert, Marquis of Croissy (1625 – July 28, 1696) was a French statesman and diplomat.

Biography

Colbert was born in Reims. Like his elder brother Jean-Baptiste Colbert, he began his career in the office of the minister of war Le Tellier.

In 1656 he bought a counsellorship at the parlement of Metz, and in 1658 was appointed intendant of Alsace and president of the newly created sovereign council of Alsace. In this position he had to re-organise the territory recently annexed to France. The steady support of his brother at court gained for him several diplomatic missions to Germany and Italy (1659–1661). In 1662 he became marquis de Croissy and président à mortier of the parlement of Metz.

After various intendancies, at Soissons (1665), at Amiens (1666), and at Paris (1667), he turned to diplomacy for good. In 1668, he represented France at the conference of Aix-la-Chapelle; and in August of the same year was sent as ambassador to the Court of St. James in London, where he was to negotiate the definite Treaty of Dover with Charles II of England, (1630-1685). He arranged the interview at Dover on the English Channel between King Charles and his sister Henrietta of Orléans, gained the King's personal favor by finding a mistress for him, Louise de Kéroualle, maid of honour to Madame, and persuaded him to declare the Third Anglo-Dutch War against the Dutch Republic.

The negotiation of the Treaty of Nijmwegen (1676–1678) still further increased his reputation as a diplomat and King Louis XIV, (1638-1715), made him secretary of state for foreign affairs for France after the disgrace of Arnauld de Pomponne, brought about by his brother in 1679. He at once assumed the entire direction of French royal diplomacy. Foreign ambassadors were no longer received and diplomatic instructions were no longer given by other secretaries of state. It was he,

Evelyn's Diary. 16 Oct 1671. In the morning, we went hunting and hawking; in the afternoon, till almost morning, to cards and dice, yet I must say without noise, swearing, quarrel, or confusion of any sort. I, who was no gamester, had often discourse with the French Ambassador, Colbert (age 46), and went sometimes abroad on horseback with the ladies to take the air, and now and then to hunting; thus idly passing the time, but not without more often recess to my pretty apartment, where I was quite out of all this hurry, and had leisure when I would, to converse with books, for there is no man more hospitably easy to be withal than my Lord Arlington (age 53), of whose particular friendship and kindness I had ever a more than ordinary share. His house is a very noble pile, consisting of four pavilions after the French, beside a body of a large house, and, though not built altogether, but formed of additions to an old house (purchased by his Lordship (age 53) of one Sir T. Rookwood) yet with a vast expense made not only capable and roomsome, but very magnificent and commodious, as well within as without, nor less splendidly furnished. The staircase is very elegant, the garden handsome, the canal beautiful, but the soil dry, barren, and miserably sandy, which flies in drifts as the wind sits. Here my Lord was pleased to advise with me about ordering his plantations of firs, elms, limes, etc., up his park, and in all other places and avenues. I persuaded him to bring his park so near as to comprehend his house within it; which he resolved upon, it being now near a mile to it. The water furnishing the fountains, is raised by a pretty engine, or very slight plain wheels, which likewise serve to grind his corn, from a small cascade of the canal, the invention of Sir Samuel Morland (age 46). In my Lord's (age 53) house, and especially above the stair