Historical Profile: Irving Morrow


Irving F. Morrow (1884 – 1952) was an American architect who was best known for designing the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California.  In 1906, Morrow graduated from the architecture program at the University of California at Berkeley.  In addition to designing the Golden Gate Bridge, Morrow designed banks, hotels, schools, and theaters.

In 1930, engineer Joseph Strauss hired Morrow to design the Golden Gate Bridge.  In 1919, prior to beginning work on the bridge, Morrow wrote about the potential for building a bridge in San Francisco: "The narrow strait is caressed by breezes from the blue bay throughout the long golden afternoon, but perhaps it is loveliest at the cool end of the day when, for a few breathless moments, faint afterglows transfigure the gray line of the hills."  

At the time of its opening on May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge was the longest and tallest suspension in the world, spanning 4,200 feet.

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