Basic Biographical Details Name: | Robert Dron | Designation: | | Born: | 4 August 1898 | Died: | 8 July 1996 | Bio Notes: | Robert Dron was born on 4 August 1898 in Dundee, the son of Robert Dron, railway guard, and his wife Agnes Smith. He was articled to James Hendry Langlands Senior in 1914, attending classes at Dundee Technical College under Patrick Hill Thoms. Whilst with Langlands he worked on the Morgan Academy. During the First World War he first served in the army from 1916 and then transferred to the Signals Division of the Royal Flying Corps. At the end of the war in 1919 he continued his apprenticeship in the office of William Bruce Dickie Keith, transferring to Dundee City Architect's Department under the then City Architect James Thomson in 1920 for the final three years of his training. Throughout these early years of office experience Dron attended evening classes at Dundee Technical College and School of Art under Patrick Hill Thoms.
Dron was made redundant in 1923 when the City began to withdraw Thomson's staff to force him into retirement. Thereafter he spent a year with Thoms & Wilkie as an assistant and two years with William Macfarlane Patrick prior to being re-employed in the architects' division of the City Engineer's Department in 1926 under James McLellan Brown. He passed Part I of the qualifying exam in July 1933 and Part II in July 1934, was admitted ARIBA on 3 December of the latter year, his proposers being Thoms, William Salmond and Charles Geddes Soutar. He was elected FRIAS in 1953.
Dron became depute to McLellan Brown in 1939, working on hospitals and a variety of other buildings and succeeded him as City Architect and Director of Housing in late 1951, the post having been reinstated after the Second World War. He retired in 1963 after eleven years of difficult post-war conditions. But more difficult times were to come: in 1968 his successor John Kidd became ill and had to retire early. Dron returned to his old post as an interim measure, but as the Progressive and Labour councillors could not agree on the appointment of a successor Dron remained in post until 1970.
Dron was a tall, slim, archetypal city official who had the essential gift of taking any situation calmly, no matter how provocative. He was a great source of wisdom, past and present. For most of his life he lived very quietly in a semi-detached council house in East Haddon Road but in his later years he lived in a house he designed himself at 6 Middlebank Crescent. Apart from architecture his only interest was golf: he was a member of the Panmure and Kirriemuir clubs.
Dron died at the Royal Victoria Hospital Dundee on 8 July 1996 at the great age of ninety-seven. His wife, Isabella Roger Batter Brown had predeceased him. They had no family. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 6, Middlebank Crescent, Dundee, Scotland | Private | | c. 1996 | Home for his later years | | 19, Kilberry Street, Dundee, Scotland | Private | 1934 * | | | | 61, East Haddon Road, Dundee, Scotland | Private | 1938 * | After 1953 | Private address for most of his life |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA Proposers
Buildings and DesignsThis was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): | | Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes | | 1913 or 1914 | Morgan's Hospital | | | Dundee | Scotland | Enlargement - as apprentice to James H Langlands | | After 1925 | Ashludie House | Monifieth | | Angus | Scotland | Additions - as assistant to James McLellan Brown, Depute City Architect | | After 1925 | Broughty Ferry Library | Broughty Ferry | | Dundee | Scotland | As assistant to James McLellan Brown | | After 1925 | Sidlaw Sanatorium | Auchterhouse | | Dundee | Scotland | Alterations as assistant to James McLellan Brown, Depute City Architect | | 1929 | Fleming Trust Housing | | | Dundee | Scotland | As assistant to James McLellan Brown | | 1935 | Mid Craigie Housing Estate | Mid Craigie | | Dundee | Scotland | As assistant to James McLellan Brown, Dundee City Architect | | 1935 | Mills Observatory, Balgay Park | | | Dundee | Scotland | As assistant to James McLellan Brown, Depute City Architect | | c. 1938 | Magdalen Kirkton Housing Scheme | | | Dundee | Scotland | As assistant to James McLellan Brown, Dundee City Architect | | 1954 | Bus Depot and Station, Kingsway Estate | | | Dundee | Scotland | To prepare plans for new bus depot and station | | 1954 | King George VI Memorial Old People's Club | | | Dundee | Scotland | Alterations to plans to take account of local building bye-laws as regards plumbing, heating and general construction of building. James F Morrison, quantity surveyor, translating English specifications and schedules to conform with Scottish modes of building. | | 1954 | Old People's Home, Clements Park | | | Dundee | Scotland | To prepare plans for home | | 1955 | St Columba's RC Primary School | | | Dundee | Scotland | As City Architect | | 1957 | Charleston Primary School | Charleston | | Dundee | Scotland | As Dundee City Architect | | 1957 | Kirkton High School | | | Dundee | Scotland | as Dundee City Architect, per Builder p1102 | | 8 February 1957 | Dundee High School | | | Dundee | Scotland | 'R. Dron and J. McLellan Brown, Municipal Buildings, City Square' per Builder p293 | | 15 March 1957 | Slaughterhouse | | | Dundee | Scotland | per Builder p523 | | 10 May 1957 | Workshops, garage and stores for Burgh Cleansing Dept | | | Dundee | Scotland | per Builder p882 | | 3 October 1958 | Housing, Arbroath Road | Craigie | | Dundee, Angus | Scotland | as City Architect p591 | | 24 August 1959 | Menzieshill Housing Scheme | Menzieshill | | Dundee, Angus | Scotland | presented plans to housing committee as City A per Builder 11 Sept 1959 p226 | | 1960 | 60 flats, Menzieshill Housing Scheme (1st development) | | | Dundee | Scotland | As City Architect | | 1960 | Linlathen Housing Scheme (second development) | | | Dundee | Scotland | As City Architect | | 1960 | Midmill Housing Scheme | | | Dundee | Scotland | As City Architect | | 1960 | Pleasance Housing Scheme (First Development) | | | Dundee, Angus | Scotland | As City Architect | | 1961 | 77 flats, Menzieshill Housing Scheme (5th development) | | | Dundee | Scotland | As City Architect | | 1962 | 121 flats, Menzieshill Housing Scheme (7th development) | | | Dundee | Scotland | As City Architect | | 1962 | 66 houses, Nursery Road Housing Scheme | | | Dundee | Scotland | As City Architect | | 1962 | 99 flats, Menzieshill Housing Scheme (6th development) | | | Dundee | Scotland | As City Architect | | 1968 | 105 houses, Whitfield Housing Scheme (4th development phase 2) | | | Dundee | Scotland | As City Architect | | 1969 | 201 houses, Whitfield Housing Scheme (5th/6th developments) | | | Dundee | Scotland | As City Architect |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Glendinning, Miles | 1997 | Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75 | | Tuckwell Press Ltd | p25, p56 Photograph of Menzieshill in 1964, p64 Photograph 1965 | | Glendinning, Miles and Muthesius, Stefan | 1994 | Tower Block: Modern Public Housing in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland | | Yale University Press: New Haven and London | p242, p243, p329, p367 Whitfield
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Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 23 April 1954 | | | p744 | | Builder | 21 May 1954 | | | p918 | | Dundee Courier and Advertiser | 9 July 1996 | | | Obituary | | RIAS Newsletter | November 1996 | v7, no9 | | Death notice |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | H M Register House | Death Register | | | | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Undated cutting; personal recollections | | RIAS, Rutland Square | Records of membership | | | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A no5509 (combined box 84) |
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