In 1897, a man named William B. Ittner became the Commissioner
of School Buildings for the Board of Education in St. Louis. It
was a new position, created to oversee an ambitious plan to
design and build scores of new public schools in St. Louis city.
Before this, school buildings in St. Louis were vastly
unappealing structures. Almost resembling prison blocks, school
buildings were uniformly dark, dreary, and overcrowded. Simply
put, attending public school in 19th century St. Louis was an
uncomfortable and unhealthy experience. Growing up in St. Louis,
William Ittner attended city public schools. The experience of
learning in a cold box-like building must have made a
significant impact on him. After attending Washington
University’s Manual Training School, he earned a degree in
architecture from Cornell University. Upon returning to St.
Louis, he began a successful career working in a few private
architecture firms and on his own. When he landed his new job
for the Board of Education in 1897, Ittner would a