Saturday, July 16, 2011



Harry Van Oudenallen, 1944- 2011

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

On Saturday morning June 18, 2011-Harry, aged 67, slipped peacefully away at home, after a short battle with cancer, surrounded by his family. Harry was a senior professor and scholar associated with the Buildings-Landscapes-Cultures area. The faculty and students at BLC remember him for his steadfast support and leadership. He led the urban rebuilding and New Orleans effort as part of the BLC curriculum.

Born in Den Hague, Netherlands in 1944, he moved two years later to Singapore, spent the next four years in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and finally moved to Long Island, New York where he graduated from Bethpage HS in 1962. Harry received his BA from Harvard College in 1966, and a Masters Equivalent in Architecture from the University of Oregon in 1971. Unique, absolutely-while at Harvard he played football, and was the first left footed soccer style punter.

His career, service and projects would keep Harry smiling and traveling for the rest of his life. He joined the faculty at the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at UWM in 1979, and from the very start excelled as a teacher. There are hundreds of students who were profoundly influenced and mentored by Harry. Among the awards he won in his career, perhaps the ones he was most proud of were, the UWM Undergraduate Teaching Award and the ACSA Distinguished Professor Award. He was, this year, elected by his peers at the ACSA to serve as the Vice Chancellor of this distinguished group of scholars and teachers.

Harry was a contagiously likable person and will be remembered for his enormous smile, and rich laughter. He was, though, a talented and skilled professional with a substantial career. He was a founding member, with Nick Cascarano, in 1996 of Architectura, Inc., an award winning firm that produced outstanding architectural designs. He won many awards-winning or placing in design competitions which included the: Milwaukee Lakefront National Competition, Milwaukee Performing Arts Center Master Plan Competition, Merit Hall Competition, Timber Holdings Competition, Pier Wisconsin Competition, Newark Visitor Center Competition, Denver Public Market Competition, and the Atlantic City Holocaust Memorial.

We will remember you Harry and we will strive at BLC to reach the standards that you expected of us.