Remembering Henry L. Fisk.

For much of his twenty-eight professional years in Iowa City (1934-1962), Henry L. Fisk (above left) was our city’s only registered architect. Serving as the local architectural consultant for the new Iowa City Press-Citizen Building (below) in downtown Iowa City (1937), Fisk was also well-known around town for his modern residential designs. In 1955, Fisk was looking to add a young intern to his small architect’s office located on the second floor of the First National Bank building – at the corner of Washington and Dubuque streets in downtown Iowa City.

On July 5, 1955, Fisk sent an invitation letter (see below) to a 23-year-old graduate of Iowa State College, named Roland C. Wehner (above right). Wehner lived in Oakville, Iowa and was working with Dane D. Morgan & Associates in nearby Burlington, Iowa. As it turned out, Wehner and Fisk must have hit it off when Roland came in for an interview, because the two teamed up – beginning in 1956 – and over the next six years, became one of the most successful architectural offices in Iowa City history. You can read more about their story here.

When we recently visited with Roland Wehner in his home office (Summer 2024), he shared with us his written reflections on his six-year experience, working with Iowa City’s first registered architect – Henry L. Fisk. With his permission, we share his written notes here…

I started working as an intern architect for Mr. Fisk in January 1956 and continued until his death, Friday the 13th of July 1962. My appreciation for that opportunity and the professional growth I experienced over that period of time has only increased over the subsequent years.

The office staff consisted of two people: Mr. Fisk and a secretary/receptionist. Mr. Fisk was 54 years of age at the time, 5 years older than my father, and 30 years my superior, so I considered him to be an “old” man.

Fisk’s office was a two-room suite of less than 500 square feet, located on the second floor of the First National Bank building, at the corner of Washington and Dubuque streets, Iowa City, Iowa. The back room, occupied by Fisk, had windows facing the adjacent alley, providing natural light and ventilation, and a window air conditioner. The other room was divided approximately in half, a smaller area serving as a reception/waiting area, the larger area accommodating the secretary, and in the far corner, a drafting table for the apprentice.

The wall separating Fisk’s room from the other room was fitted at the top with 3 rows of glass block so as to allow some natural light to filter into the inner room. Four glass blocks were removed in the upper corner and replaced with an electric fan to facilitate sharing some cool air. Unfortunately, an abundant amount of second-hand smoke was also shared, as Fisk was a heavy smoker. Chain smoker was an understatement, as Fisk sometimes had three cigarettes burning simultaneously: one in the ashtray, one in his hand, and lighting a third.

Normal office hours were 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM weekdays and 8:00 AM to noon on Saturdays. Fisk usually arrived for work about 6:00 AM and left for coffee break at the Elks Club around 10:00 AM. Often, he would not return to the office until 1:00 PM because there were pool tables at the Elks’ Club and his friends Jack Swaner, Babe Hands and Roy Koza had standing reservations.

In spite of the modest office accommodations and Fisk’s somewhat unorthodox office hours, the work environment was always quite professional. Coat, shirt and tie were standard attire. In such a small office idle chit-chat, bad jokes, foul language and extended conversations about vacation plans, etc., were not a problem.

My relationship with Mr. Fisk was almost exclusively professional. We did not celebrate birthdays, have office or Christmas parties, nor exchange gifts on a regular basis. I recall only one occasion attending a dinner party at Fisk’s house, and one time, the Fisk’s taking us out to dinner. We never had the Fisks to our house (which I sorely regret).

My hobby is photography. Over the years, I have taken thousands of office-related photos, but I regret, and am embarrassed to admit, that I did not take a single photograph of Henry Fisk.

Fisk was not overly concerned about making money. He once told me that if we stayed busy with the work at hand, the year-end tally would be adequate. He did not have an aggressive program of developing new business, but seemed quite content to confine his work to clients that walked in the door, which probably accounted to a large degree to overall client satisfaction. To my knowledge, no client ever sued Fisk or even threatened a lawsuit.

Perhaps the most admirable quality of Fisk’s practice of architecture was his attitude towards his clients. Above all, Fisk wanted clients to be pleased with the work he did for them. He listened carefully to their needs and concerns, and was always open and flexible to incorporating their ideas. While Fisk practiced a style of design with which he was most comfortable, he never forced it upon a client. I never, ever, heard him say a bad thing about a client.

Contractors were another matter. While Fisk was a good friend of Paul Jensen (Viggo Jensen Construction), and they sometimes went together fishing at Jackson Hole (Wyoming), other contractors considered him arrogant and ornery. Fisk seemed to enjoy intimidating and humiliating them.

I never found Fisk to be arrogant or unusually egotistical, nor exhibit much “pride of ownership”. His open and flexible attitude is well illustrated by the sequence of events during the preliminary design phase of the Clay & Gretchen Harshbarger house in River Heights. Fisk had met several times with the Harshbargers, delivering final sketches for their review just prior to leaving for his annual winter vacation in Florida. Several days later, the Harshbargers called me and asked if they could come in for a visit about the design. At the meeting they explained that while all their requirements were met and they found no flaws in the plan, the overall design had no “pizzazz”. They asked if I would prepare an alternative design. I developed a design incorporating some of Frank Lloyd Wright philosophy and concepts. No unnecessary spaces (slab-on-grade, flat roof, no basement, no attic, etc.) When Fisk returned, the Harshbargers told him of our activities in his absence, and their preference for the new design. I was very nervous, thinking the situation could be a career-limiting event. If Fisk was angry or offended, he did not reveal it in any way. We never discussed it.

As far as I know, Fisk was not superstitious, but he did share one curiosity with me. He had at one time a partner whose last name was Ruth; Henry’s wife was named Ruth; the wife of his best friend, Jack Swaner, was Ruth, Swaners had a daughter named Ruthie, and their son, Jim, married a girl named Ruth; the wife of his banker friend Albert Droll was named Ruth; and my wife’s maiden name was Marilyn Ruth Duke.

Roland & Marilyn “Ruth” Wehner were married on New Years Day 1956.

Fisk may have had a heightened awareness regarding names and titles. He once explained that his last name was too short to command attention and always signed his work “Henry L. Fisk – Registered Architect.” After I became a partner at the beginning of 1960, he did not want the firm to be known as “Fisk & Wehner” but preferred that each of our full names be listed as Architects.

You may have noticed that I never addressed Mr. Fisk as “Henry”. To me, it was a matter of respect; Henry Fisk was always the senior partner and it seemed to me that he rather enjoyed being called Mr. Fisk. He never once suggested that I should call him “Henry”.