Roger S. Hong Collection, 1936-2001, bulk 1960-1995

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Summary

Abstract:
Roger S. Hong was an architect who worked primarily on commercial projects in California from the 1960s to 2001. Hong was actively involved in efforts to revitalize Chinatown in Los Angeles, and the collection features early drawings of the building of "New Chinatown" in the late 1930s, and proposals by Hong for renovations and improvements from the 1980s to the 2000s. The collection also includes samples of Hong's other professional projects, as well as his childhood artwork, student work, and Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity scrapbooks (1960 to 1962) from the University of Southern California.
Extent:
77 Linear Feet (18 boxes, 16 oversize folders)
Language:
The records are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Roger S. Hong collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The Roger S. Hong Collection spans the years 1936 to 2001 and consists primarily of architectural drawings by Los Angeles architect Roger Hong dating from the 1960s to 2001, as well as earlier drawings of Los Angeles' New Chinatown (1936 to the 1940s) by architects Erle Webster and Adrian Wilson. In the mid-1930s, all of Old Chinatown was demolished to make way for Union Station. Many of the displaced families and businesses went to the nearby 900 block of North Broadway and developed New Chinatown. The drawings by Webster & Wilson show the development of this historic area of Los Angeles through survey records, street plans and drawings for buildings for You Chung Hong.

The collection also includes Roger Hong's proposed revitalization plans for Chinatown, 1979 to 2001. These drawings and Hong's other professional work in this collection are primarily for commercial projects. One exception is the Y. C. Hong residence, a modern home designed while Hong was starting his professional career at Buff & Hensman and Associates, and constructed in 1969. The collection also includes samplings of Hong's professional work done while at various firms and in his capacity as private architectural consultant in the 1990s.

Hong's childhood artwork and work done while he was a student at the University of Southern California are also part of the collection, including his Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity scrapbooks, 1960 to 1962.

Biographical / historical:

Roger S. Hong (September 23, 1941 - October 27, 2006) was born in Los Angeles, California, the youngest son of You Chung Hong (Y. C. Hong) and Mabel Hong. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Southern California in 1965, followed by a Master of Science degree in City and Regional Planning in 1968. He was certified in many states, including California, to practice as a licensed architect. Some of his notable architectural projects include: the Thomas & Mack Center arena at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; the United Bank headquarters (Los Angeles, CA); Kun Lun Hotel (Beijing, China); Hotel Nikko (Beverly Hills, CA); the Y. C. Hong residence (Los Angeles, CA); Chieh Shou Sports Park (Taipei, Taiwan); Kaiser Richmond Medical Center (Richmond, CA); Froedtert Memorial Hospital (University of Milwaukee, WI); KCET Public Television headquarters (Los Angeles, CA); and various buildings and facilities in and around the Los Angeles Chinatown area. After working at several firms, he co-founded the architectural firm Arechaederra/Hong/Treiman Architects in 1981. Hong retired from his firm in 1993 and devoted himself to preserving the Hong family history, the restoration and preservation of Los Angeles' Chinatown, and various charitable and community causes.

Hong's father, You Chung Hong (May 4, 1898 - November 8, 1977), was a prominent Chinese American immigration lawyer based in Los Angeles, California. He is reputed to be the first Chinese American to pass, in 1923, the California State Bar exam. Y. C. Hong was also one of the founders of Los Angeles' New Chinatown (1938).

Acquisition information:
Gift of Roger S. Hong, June 2006.
Arrangement:

The collection is arranged in the following two series:

  1. I. Personal papers, approximately 1950-2001
  2. II. Project plans and drawings, 1936-2001
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining permission rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Roger S. Hong collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2129
reference@huntington.org
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