George H. Otten
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George H. Otten | |
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| Born | June 21, 1889 Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Died | March 26, 1978 (aged 88) Beaverton, Oregon, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Oregon Columbia University University of Montpellier |
| Occupation | Architect |
George Herman Otten (June 21, 1889 – March 26, 1978) was an American landscape architect who worked primarily in the U.S. state of Oregon. Born and raised in Oregon, he served in World War I before later working for the Oregon State Highway Department where he worked on projects such as the design of the Oregon State Capitol's mall.
Otten was born in Portland, Oregon, where his father was a landscape gardener and florist. In 1911, Otten graduated from the University of Oregon and moved to New York to work for Ferruccio Vitale.[1]
Vitale's composition was often characterized by unifying lines, colors, and textures in an intimate, secluded landscape. In 1915, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. approached Vitale with a plan to encourage landscape architects in the United States to study in Europe. At about the same time, Vitale formed a partnership, Vitale and Fowler, with a former apprentice.[2] But Otten did not remain with Vitale's new firm.
Otten graduated with a master's degree from Columbia University in 1915. He was in the United States Army from December 1917 to August 1919 and was a private with Company M, 23rd Engineer Battalion.[3] He served during World War I and studied at the University of Montpellier in 1919.[1] He then returned to Portland and continued his work in landscape architecture.[1]
