Abstract
The collection is comprised of architectural records (1943-2009) completed by American architect, Alton Dean Jensen and/or his architectural firm, Alton Dean Jensen Architect, AIA, and contains 263 sets of drawings and 95 sets of project records from over 200 different projects. Primarily focusing on the Nevada area and Utah area with some projects also located in Arizona, California, Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, Montana, and Idaho, the materials feature hand-drawn architectural drawings, ranging from preliminary sketches to construction documents, and project records, like structural calculations and project specifications. The drawings also contain work from consultants, engineers, and other architects who collaborated on the development of the various projects. The drawings include: commercial, industrial, professional, civic, residential, and religious buildings of varying scales, such as convenience stores, hotels, casinos, shopping centers, warehouses, office developments, schools, military buildings, churches, and custom single-family homes located throughout the Southwest (United States). The drawings also include a number of additions, remodels, and renovations. The drawings contain work from the Miles E. Miller Architecture firm, where Alton Dean Jensen first worked in Salt Lake City, Utah in the 1950s. The records include: structural calculations and drawings, project manuals and specifications, bid documents, and professional correspondence.
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Scope and Contents Note
The records are comprised of 81.93 cubic feet of architectural drawings and project files (1943-2009) created and/or used by American architect, Alton Dean Jensen and/or his architectural firm, Alton Dean Jensen Architect, AIA. The records include 263 sets of drawings and 95 sets of project records from over 200 different projects. Primarily focusing on the Nevada area and Utah area, with some projects also located in Arizona, California, Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, Montana, and Idaho, the projects include commercial, industrial, professional, civic, residential, and religious buildings of varying scales, such as convenience stores, hotels, casinos, shopping centers, warehouses, office developments, schools, military buildings, churches, and custom single-family homes.
The materials feature hand-drawn architectural drawings, such as artist’s renderings, preliminary sketches, schematics drawings, and construction documents. The drawings contain work from consultants, engineers, and other architects who collaborated on the development of the various projects throughout the Southwest (United States). The drawings completed by other firms include several sets of original construction documents that Jensen used for reference while working on additions, alterations, expansions, and remodels to the original buildings. The drawings also contain work from the Miles E. Miller Architecture firm, where Alton Dean Jensen first worked in Salt Lake City, Utah in the 1950s. In addition to drawings, the records include project files that contain such as bid documents, project specifications, project manuals, structural calculations, progress reports, project correspondence, and photographic prints.
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Arrangement
The materials are arranged into two series: Architectural Drawings (1951-2009), and Project Records (1988-2009).
Biographical / Historical Note
Alton Dean Jensen was born on May 9, 1927 in Centerfield, Utah. After an honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy, Jensen was educated in architectural drafting at Utah Technology College and graduated in 1950. Jensen began his architectural career as a chief draftsman and office manager at Miles E. Miller in Salt Lake City, Utah from 1950 to 1954. He was also chief draftsman for Robert L. Spingmeyer from 1954 to 1958 and an associate at Donald H. Panushka & Associates from 1958 to 1962. He began his own private architecture practice in 1962. Jensen was a registered architect in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, California, Nebraska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Washington. He was a certified architect for National Council Architectural Registration Boards.
Jensen was a chairman on the graphic arts department advisory committee at Utah Technology College, Salt Lake City. He was also a member of the master plan committee for the Salt Lake City International Airport from 1979 to 1981 and a member of the airport plan committee of Wasatch Front Regional Council in Salt Lake City beginning in 1979.
Alton Dean Jensen was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). He did a number of projects with the LDS church in numerous states. Jensen is known for his designs of numerous community, civic, business, and residential structures, and his addition and remodel work.
Sources:
"Alton Dean Jensen." Alton Dean Jensen (born May 9, 1927), American architect | Prabook.
“Alton Dean Jensen's Obituary on The Salt Lake Tribune." The Salt Lake Tribune.
Staff, News. "Boulder City deaths." LasVegasSun.com. April 29, 2009.
Established in 1962 in Salt Lake City, Utah, Alton Dean Jensen Architect, AIA, embodies Alton Dean Jensen’s design philosophy and reflects local cultural characteristics. Jensen’s firm worked on a wide variety of public projects for local and federal governments, such as educational facilities and government centers. His firm also worked on a variety of private projects such as hotels, casinos, shopping plazas, professional offices, as well as single and multi-family residences. In addition, Jensen worked on a number of meeting houses for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout the western United States. Jensen and his firm have worked on over 200 projects in as many as eight states, contributing to the growth and development of the Southern Nevada community as well as the western United States.
Preferred Citation
Alton Dean Jensen Architectural Records, 1943-2009. MS-00843. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were donated to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) School of Architecture and subsequently transferred to UNLV Libraries Special Collections around 2009; accession number 2009-37.
Processing Note
The finding aid was created and materials were processed in 2017 by Kylie Kircher, Pardis Shaabani, and Tyler Stanger who physically rehoused, inventoried, and described the records.