Dean Edwin Arter (1927-1995), Architect
DBA: Arter & Associates, Architects
Dean Edwin Arter was born on April 6, 1927 in Hawarden, Iowa. He joined the U.S. Air Force, serving 1944-1946. After earning his Bachelor’s of Art in Architecture from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1951, he entered architectural practice as a draftsman in Lincoln.[4][5]
Arter formed the firm of Arter & Speece in 1956 which stayed in practice until 1966. Then he established Dean E. Arter & Associates, where he worked for almost thirty years.[4][5] He developed Devco, Inc., in 1970, and later Devco Investment Corporation, a property management firm responsible for several downtown development projects, including CenterStone, Georgian Place, Lincoln Station, Commerce Court, and Lincoln Square.[6][7] In 1980 his companies were organized under the umbrella entity, The Arter Group Ltd.[2]
Arter was a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and was active with the Lincoln Council on Alcoholism and Drugs, receiving the Bronze Key in 1983.[1][6] He was also prominently associated with the Cosmopolitan Club, Westminster Presbyterian Church, DeltaUpsilon, and the NU Alumni Association. He was survived by his wife, Carol, sons, Michael, Mark and James, and daughter Nancy Gade, all in Lincoln.[6][7]
This page is a contribution to the publication, Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. See the Format and contents of Nebraska architect entries page for more information on the compilation and page organization.
Contents
Compiled Nebraska Directory Listings
Lincoln, Nebraska, 1956-1959, 1961-1976, 1992
Scottsbluff-Gering, Nebraska, 1967-1970
Educational & Professional Associations
1944-1946: U. S. Army Air Force.[4][5]
1951: B.A. in Architecture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln.[4][5]
1951-1956: draftsman, Clark & Enersen, Lincoln, Nebraska.[4]
1956-1966: architect and partner, Arter & Speece, Lincoln, Nebraska.[4][5]
1966-1995: architect and president, Dean E. Arter & Associates, Lincoln, Nebraska.[5[a][b]
Other Associations
1976-1979: employed Dennis J. Lyon, vice president of Dean E. Arter & Associates.
Buildings & Projects
Some buildings listed as principal works by Arter while practicing as Arter & Speece include the following (see the firm’s page for more detail):
Hampton Elementary School (1957), Hampton, Nebraska.[4]
St. Andrews Lutheran Church (1958), Lincoln, Nebraska.[4]
Medical Village Office Building (1959), Lincoln, Nebraska.[4]
Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church (1959), Lyons, Nebraska.[4]
Fillmore County Hospital (1959), Geneva, Nebraska.[4]
Gymnasium Addition (1961), Public School, Walthill, Nebraska.[4]
Methodist Chapel & Student Center-Cornerstone Student Chapel (1962), Lincoln, Nebraska.[1][5]
Elementary Schools (1964), Valentine, Nebraska.[5]
Senior High School (1965), Gering, Nebraska.[5]
Some principle works by Arter after forming the Dean E. Arter & Associates firm include the following (see the firm’s page for more detail):
High Rise Apartment Building (1968), Auburn, Nebraska.[5]
Low-Rise Apartment Project (1969), Terrytown, Nebraska[5]
Undated
CenterStone (n.d.), Lincoln, Nebraska.[6]
Georgian Place (n. d.), Lincoln, Nebraska.[6]
Lincoln Station (n. d.), Lincoln, Nebraska.[6]
Commerce Court (n. d.), Lincoln, Nebraska.[6]
Lincoln Square (n. d.), Lincoln, Nebraska.[6]
Notes
a. The firm was listed with offices in Scottsbluff-Gering, Nebraska, 1967-1970.
b. The architectural firm discontinued operations in 1998.[2]
References
1. Justin J. Van Mullem; ed. Edward F. Zimmer and Gregory R. Mathis. “Greek Row Historic District,” National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (Lincoln: Lincoln/Lancaster County Planning Department, April 18, 1997).
2. “The Arter Group,” accessed July 9, 2013, http://www.artergroup.com/aboutus.htm
3. AIA Historical Directory of American Architects: A Resource Guide to Finding Information About Past Architects, accessed April 4, 2010, http://communities.aia.org/sites/hdoaa/wiki/Wiki%20Pages/ahd1001330.aspx
4. American Institute of Architects, comp., American Architects Directory second ed. (New York: R. R. Bowker Co., 1962), 21, accessed April 4, 2010, http://communities.aia.org/sites/hdoaa/wiki/Wiki%20Pages/1962%20American%20Architects%20Directory.aspx
5. American Institute of Architects, comp., American Architects Directory, third ed. (New York: R. R. Bowker Co., 1970), 29, accessed April 4, 2010, http://communities.aia.org/sites/hdoaa/wiki/Wiki%20Pages/1970%20American%20Architects%20Directory.aspx
6. “Downtown developer Arter dies,” Lincoln Star (January 27, 1995), 23.
7. “Arter,” Lincoln Star (January 29, 1995), 8E.
Page Citation
D. Murphy, “Dean Edwin Arter (1927-1995), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, July 9, 2013. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, April 19, 2024.
Contact the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office with questions or comments concerning this page, including any problems you may have with broken links (see, however, the Disclaimers link at the bottom of this page). Please provide the URL to this page with your inquiry.
