William Francis Cody (1916-1978) FAIA was a desert modern architect working in Palm Springs during the peak of the Modern Architecture movement. He was born in 1916 in Dayton, Ohio and studied architecture at the University of Southern California. After graduation in 1942, Cody apprenticed at several California firms, before moving to Palm Springs in 1946. During his career in Palm Springs, Cody was first employed staff architect for the Desert Inn Hotel, before setting off on his own to design the Del Marcos Hotel (1947). The conversion of the 1936 Thunderbird Dude Ranch to Thunderbird Country Club, led to design commissions for the clubhouses at Tamarisk, Eldorado, Seven Lakes, and seven other Country Club developments. It is through these 3 projects that Cody is credited with the County Club subdivision concept. Cody's specialization in country club clubhouses along with associated residential developments led to his being commissioned in California, Arizona, Texas, Cuba, and Mexico. Cody is noted for a number of spectacular contemporary commissions including the Perlberg (1952), Shamel (1961), and Abernathy (1962) residences. He also designed the St. Theresa Catholic Church (1968), L' Horizon Hotel (1952), and the Palm Springs Public Library (1975).

10 Linear Feet

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