By Richard E. Tustian (BArch 1955)

I think it was spring of 1955 that our venerable Professor Eric Arthur arranged for a group of students to have lunch with Frank Lloyd Wright, who was visiting Toronto for a program of some kind sponsored by the CBC. We met in an upper room of the York Club, and waited a goodly time for Mr. Wright to be delivered to our venue from the airport by his CBC transportation manager, a young lady driving a Volkswagen Beetle with the top down. (Lèse-majesté? Insouciance? Serendipity?)

We were waiting so long that Professor Arthur had us begin the meal. We had just started the soup course when Professor Arthur summoned me to accompany him downstairs to the porte-cochere to greet our visiting celebrity. Because I naturally brought up the rear as we climbed the grand staircase, Mr. Wright went ahead of me and sat down — right in my former seat, which caused me some anxiety as I tried to remove my abandoned bowl of soup and supporting dish, with used spoon thereon, from his now occupied table space. The effect, of this effort to avoid a faux pas respecting the personage of the great man, was to leave my memory totally blank about the entire rest of the table conversation during the meal — except for one exceptional exchange towards its conclusion.

Having finished eating before Mr. Wright, Professor Arthur stage whispered up the table: "Tustian — ask Mr. Wright if he objects to our smoking." Before I could think of anything appropriate to say, Mr. Wright asked Professor Arthur to repeat the question, and then proceeded to answer, saying: "Smoking is vile filthy habit. I don't object to it. I abhor it".

This was followed by a lengthy discourse on the theme of how all habits were death to the creative spirit; how he had tried, as a young man, to avoid falling into habits of any kind; how he had concluded that moderation was the best course, especially with regard to taking meals at regular intervals; but that the principle remained intact: Habits are death to the creative spirit.

Finally, came the conclusion: "And now, gentlemen, you may smoke if you wish".

No one smoked.

I would be interested to know if any of the others who were present for this occasion remember it the same way that I do. One must always be sensitive to the notion that sometimes, as we age, we may remember things "better than they really were." I do know, from conversation with Peter Goering, that he also remembers this incident much the way I do, so there is at least one other point of reference for the anecdote.

As one who moved away from Toronto early on (to work for Thompson, Berwick & Pratt in Vancouver, and then to UPenn for graduate school, and then into city planning practice in USA), I may be looking back on my years at the School of Architecture with the rose coloured glasses that sometimes seem to come with distance in space and time. But, in retrospect, it still seems to me to have been an excellent education, and I remain grateful to all those mentors and peers who made it a great experience.

About Richard E. Tustian

Mr. Tustian is an architect, planner, and educator, with over fifty years experience in managing the built environment. Between 1969 and 1990, Mr. Tustian was Planning Director for Montgomery County, Maryland, where he played a key role in developing what is generally considered to be one of the most comprehensive and effective urban growth management systems in the United States. Other roles in which he has served include: planning consultant to a wide variety of municipalities across the nation, from Los Angeles, California and Pierce County, Washington to Princeton, New Jersey and Saratoga Springs, New York; lecturer at Johns Hoptins University and University of Maryland; Adjunct Professor of City and Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania; Loeb Fellow at Harvard University; Senior Fellow at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy; member of the Editorial Board of the American Planning Association Journal; Site Visitor for the APA Planning Accreditation Board; and consultant to the American Institute of Certified Planners for the development of new advanced specialty certificates in Transportation and Environmental Planning.

Alumni: Do you have a stories, photos, or memories about your time as a student that you would like to share? Email Dale at communications@daniels.utoronto.ca