Ernest Allan Connally (1921–1999) was an architectural historian who headed the National Park Service's Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation (OAHP) and became a leading figure in historic preservation at home and abroad. His papers are part of the NPS History Collection at Harpers Ferry Center.
Ernest A. Connally. NPS History Collection, HFCA 1607.
Early life and teaching
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| November 15, 1921 | Born in Groesbeck, Texas |
| 1939–1942 | Studies at Rice University, then the University of Texas at Austin, with an early interest in architecture |
| 1942–1946 | Serves as a major in the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II |
| 1947 | Travels a year in Europe; spends a summer studying at the University of Florence |
| 1950 | BA in Architecture, UT-Austin |
| August 28, 1951 | Marries Janice Muriel Wegner, whom he met at Harvard; they have two children |
| 1952, 1955 | MA and PhD at Harvard in the history and principles of the fine arts, specializing in architecture |
| 1952–1967 | Teaches architecture at Miami University, Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Fulbright lecturer at the University of Melbourne in 1963 |
| 1958 | Retires from the Air Force Reserve as a lieutenant colonel |
Into the Park Service
Connally's work with the Park Service began in 1952, recording buildings for the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) at Independence National Historical Park, followed by HABS work at the Andrew Johnson Home (1956), the Custom House in Salem, Massachusetts (1958) and Cape Cod (1962). That brought him into contact with NPS historian Ronald F. Lee, a consultant to the Rains Committee, whose 1966 report With Heritage So Rich helped pass the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.
In 1967, on the recommendation of Lee and archeologist J. O. Brew, NPS Director George B. Hartzog Jr. named Connally to a special committee on historic preservation. On its advice, Hartzog created the OAHP — bringing scattered preservation work together at a high level of the Park Service — with Connally at its head. The office worked with HABS, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the new National Register of Historic Places.
Reorganizations
- 1971 — The OAHP is moved lower in the Park Service, reporting to the associate director for professional services.
- 1972 — Connally is promoted to lead that office, and Robert Utley becomes OAHP director. When Ronald Walker replaces Hartzog, Connally proposes separating the OAHP from the Park Service, and struggles through the mid-1970s to carry it out.
- 1978 — Under President Carter, the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation becomes the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service (HCRS), absorbing the OAHP. The rough transition sets back Connally's preservation goals.
- 1979 — Lacking support from HCRS director Chris T. Delaporte, whom many preservationists criticized, Connally gives up his associate directorship. The OAHP is dismantled in September.
- 1981 — Interior Secretary James G. Watt abolishes the HCRS, returning preservation to the Park Service.
- 1982–1992 — Connally returns as chief appeals officer, making final decisions on certifying historic structures for tax purposes, until he retires.
He died on December 23, 1999.
International work and honors
| Role | Years |
|---|---|
| U.S. delegate, UNESCO conference on cultural property | 1968 |
| UNESCO consultant to Nepal; to Thailand | 1968; 1982 |
| U.S. representative, International Conference on Recording Historic Monuments, Prague | 1969 |
| Secretary-treasurer, U.S. committee of ICOMOS | 1969–1973 |
| Secretary-General, International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) | 1975–1981 |
| Editorial board, ICOMOS's Monumentum | 1967–1975 |
| U.S. delegate, ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property), Rome | 1971–1977 |
| Member, U.S.-USSR Joint Working Group on the Urban Environment | 1973–1981 |
Honors included a research award from the American Philosophical Society (1957), the Interior Department's Distinguished Service Award (1978), the National Trust's Louise du Pont Crowninshield Award (1980) and honorary membership of ICOMOS (1981). He belonged to many groups, among them the American Institute of Architects, the Society of Architectural Historians, the Association for Preservation Technology and the Victorian Society in America.
The collection
| Collection | Ernest A. Connally Papers, HFCA 1645 (Series XI.VG), accession HFCA-01095 |
| Dates | 1934–1992, mostly 1963–1990 |
| Size | 10 linear feet |
| Access | Open to research; not digitized — contact the NPS History Collection archivist for an in-person appointment |
| Origin | Given by Connally in 1992; processed by contractors in 2012, updated November 2024 |
The papers are his working files for the Park Service and for preservation bodies such as the National Trust and ICOMOS: correspondence, reports, plans, legal references, minutes, notes, brochures, photographs, audio cassettes, clippings, interview transcripts and postcards.
| Series | Size | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| I. Correspondence, 1957–1992 | 1.5 ft | Professional and personal letters, recommendation letters, letters with Ronald F. Lee after his retirement and with UT-Austin |
| II. ICCROM, 1963–1981 | 1.25 ft | Correspondence, minutes and proceedings from his years as U.S. delegate |
| III. Interviews, 1980–1986 | 0.25 ft | Oral history transcripts with three interviewers, including historian Charles Hosmer and PhD student James A. Glass — on his life, the growth of historic preservation and the Park Service's preservation offices |
| IV. Legislation and Policy, 1966–1989 | 1.5 ft | The National Historic Preservation Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Olmsted Heritage Landscapes Act and other laws and directives |
| V. NPS Organization, 1934–1991 | 2.5 ft | The OAHP's creation, the 1970s reorganization plans, the HCRS, and Washington Office reorganizations of 1973 and 1978 |
| VI. Professional Engagements, 1968–1991 | 1.25 ft | Speeches, invitations and event material |
| VII. Reports, 1968–1991 | 1.5 ft | Mostly Park Service reports, including a 1980 survey of threats to parks, Glass's dissertation and reports by Barry Mackintosh and Ronald F. Lee |
| VIII. Personnel, 1966–1992 | 0.25 ft | Records of his Park Service employment |
Related collections include the NPS Oral History Collection and the papers of Verne E. Chatelain, Ronald F. Lee and Robert M. Utley.
Sources
Based on "Guide to the Ernest A. Connally Papers," NPS History Collection, Harpers Ferry Center, National Park Service; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
In these publicationsIndependence National Historical Park
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from www.nps.gov
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