Edgar Mims

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Edgar Burns Mims (born March 17, 1903 in Reidsville, North Carolina - died July 15, 1990 in Birmingham) was an architect and partner in the firm of Mims and Gaunt from 1945 until his death.

Mims grew up in North Carolina and came to Alabama in 1926 to study architecture at the Alabama Polytechnic Institute. After two years he transferred to New York University, also studying at Atelier Licht. He began his career as a draftsman for Delano and Aldrich. During the Great Depression he did not work as an architect, but resumed studies at the New York Building School in 1938.

In 1939 Mims was granted professional registration by the State of New York. He was employed as a designer and draftsman in the firm of F. R. Ballard before going to work for the Corning Glass Company in 1949. He returned briefly to Ballards office before traveling back to his home town to open his own office. He was employed as an inspector for the U. S. Engineers in Atlanta, Georgia in 1942 and then became the office manager for the Atlanta architecture and engineering firm of Burge and Stevens. He moved to Birmingham to become partner to Harry Pembleton in 1945. His skills and experience brought more commercial work to the firm and he worked more closely with institutional clients than did Pembleton, who tended toward the residential side of the practice. Mims continued the partnership with William Poole after Pembleton's 1951 retirement. He remained with the firm until his death in 1990.

References

  • Schnorrenberg, John M. (June 1992) "Harry Pembleton; Pembleton and Mims; Mims, Gaunt, and Poole; Mims and Gaunt: Perspective Renderings of Works from an Architectural Practice, 1938-1992." exhibition catalog. Birmingham Public Library