Cass Gilbert

Born in Zanesville, Ohio, Gilbert studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before entering the practice of America's leading interpreters of the French Beaux-Arts tradition, the New York firm of McKim, Mead & White. After his apprenticeship with Stanford White, Gilbert moved to St. Paul, Minnesota in 1882. His architectural landmarks include the competition-winning design for the Minnesota State Capital (completed in 1903), which brought his practice national attention, and the imposing Gothic tower of the Woolworth Building in New York City, which upon its completion in 1913 became the tallest building in the world.