The Founding (and Founders) of our Chapter
Compiled by Ken Pendleton, ASLA Emeritus
The First Landscape Architects in Alaska
During the Second World War in the 1940’s, Alaska was a little-known territory with commercial fishing as its primary economic base. During this time, the Alaska/Canadian Highway was constructed to tie the territory to the lower 48 in support of military development during WWII.
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In 1952, Anchorage was beginning to grow, and the first Landscape Architect, Edna Fisk, was employed by the City of Anchorage to assist Vic Fischer, the city's planning director.
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Edna Fisk designed parks and worked on the Master Development Plan for Ft Richardson. In Anchorage, Edna designed several early parks, including:
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Elderberry Park
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Mt. McKinley View Park Birch Park
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Chugach Park
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Delaney Park Strip (originally a fire break, then an air strip)
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Russian Jack Springs Park
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Chester Creek Park
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Alaska achieved Statehood in 1959. . . the result of years of effort by local officials, including Vic Fischer, Rasmusson, Dimond, Anchorage Times owner Robert Atwood, and others.
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The Good Friday Earthquake and tsunami in 1964 focused worldwide attention on south central Alaska. The reconstruction of Anchorage and other communities in Alaska followed for many years thereafter.
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In 1968, the discovery of oil in Prudhoe Bay sparked a new economic boom in Alaska, and with it, expansion and growth in Anchorage and Fairbanks.
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In 1975, Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. (APSC) hired Bruce Sharky and Ken Pendleton to establish a ‘team’ of landscape architects to develop practical solutions for restoration of pipeline access roads, camps, pump stations (12), material sites, disposal sites, and the terminal site at Valdez. R&M consultants were contracted by APSC to provide Landscape Architects to work on the ‘restoration team’. In 1975/76, approximately 8 Landscape Architects were working for the Pipeline Co.
Founding of a Chapter
Bailey Breedlove, a Landscape Architect working for the National Park Service in the Anchorage Regional Office, was working to select federal Lands for parks and preserves within the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANILCA).
Bailey was both supportive and welcoming, and very excited to learn that new landscape architects had been hired by Alyeska. The influx of Landscape Architects brought the total to the minimum required for Chapter Status: 15. Bailey then submitted an application to the ASLA National for Chapter status. In late 1976, ASLA approved the Alaska Chapter's application for status. This occurred the same year Chapter status was granted to San Diego and Texas.
The following is the list of Charter members submitted for the establishment of the Alaska Chapter.
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Bailey Breedlove (NPS)
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Gerald Coutnant (USFS)
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Richard N. Estelle
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Edna Fisk
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John Gliva (USFS)
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Burdett Lent (Group 3 Design)
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Marcus Malik
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Kenneth Pendleton (APSC / LDN)
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Louis Penna (MOA)
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Guy Pugmire
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Bruce Shady (APSC / LDN)
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Harry Shore (USFS)
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Hellen Sullivan Stanley Sprect (USFS)
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Ronald L. Wood (USFS)
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Lee Andrew Wyat
Founders
Bailey Breedlove
Bailey Breedlove is recognized as Alaska’s Father of Landscape Architects. Much in the same spirit that we all consider Olmstead to be the Father of Landscape Architecture in the United States. We owe a debt of gratitude to Bailey for his persistence, love of our profession, and for his support, and for welcoming each landscape architect living in Alaska.
Edna Fisk
We are the only Chapter in the USA that can trace our origins to our First landscape architect, Edna Fisk, who passed away in late 1976. Her obituary:
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Memorial services for Edna M. Fisk, 53, will be held at 2 p.m. today at Evergreen Memorial Chapel. 4th Rev. Krishna V. Frosig of Central Lutheran Church will officiate. Mrs. Fisk died Thursday at Providence Hospital. She was born on February 1, 1923, in San Francisco and had lived in Anchorage since 1951. She came to Alaska in 1950 to work on the landscape portion of the master plan for Fort Richardson and was a member of Central Lutheran Church and the Urban Beautification Commission. Mrs. Fisk consulted with the Parks and Recreation Department and numerous organizations about landscape projects. She leaves her husband, Paul, of the family home, 1576 I Street; a son, Leigh of Anchorage; two daughters, Myra Fisk of Fairbanks and Kathy Fisk of Anchorage; her mother, Mrs. Marie Horn of San Francisco; and a brother, Robert Horn of Palo Alto, Calif.