James Marston Fitch (1909-2000) was an architect, writer, and the principal figure behind the establishment of the Historic Preservation Program at Columbia University in 1964. A faculty member of the Architecture school from 1954 until his retirement in 1979, Fitch educated and inspired countless students who went on to lead the growing Historic Preservation movement in the United States. He was an internationally renowned theorist of the preservation of the historic built environment, and his published works, including Historic Preservation: Curatorial Management of the Built World, remain seminal in the Historic Preservation field in the United States.
Today, his legacy is maintained by the James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation. In his honor, PA annually awards both the Cleo and James Marston Fitch Prize and the Cleo and James Marston Fitch Thesis Grant, which continue to recognize the tradition of excellence established by James Marston Fitch.
For more information, visit the James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation: http://www.fitchfoundation.org