1927–1998
Drawings and Papers: 1950s–2000s
83 oversize folders and 6 boxes, c. 20 linear feet
Alfred Newman Beadle (1927–1998) was a prominent Modernist architect in the Phoenix area. From the late 1950s through the mid 1980s, Beadle’s work earned national attention and he became a leading figure of modern architecture in the Southwest.
Born in St. Paul Minnesota in 1927, he served with the United States Navy Construction Battalion, the Seabees, in the South Pacific during World War II. His experiences in the Navy included building piers, designing command bases, and constructing hospitals. Following the war, Beadle returned to Minnesota and established a successful home-building business before relocating to Phoenix in 1951, becoming a licensed building contractor and later a licensed architect.
Beadle began to practice architecture in Arizona as a partner-in-charge of Dailey Associates from 1956 to 1967. In 1967 he started his own firm in Phoenix. Beadle is most well-known for designing Case Study Apartments #1 (Triad Apartments) in Phoenix, as part of the notable Case Study House Program initiated by Arts & Architecture magazine. Beadle’s residential and commercial designs won a variety of awards from the American Institute of Architects, American Iron and Steel Institute, and Architectural Record magazine.
The Alfred Newman Beadle Collection provides an extensive documentary record of a significant architect, designer, and builder and a prominent figure in midcentury modern architecture. The collection consists of drawings, project specifications, awards, correspondence, photographs, articles, and ephemera.
View the collection finding aid (PDF)
To view selected images from the Beadle Collection, visit the Library Guide to Arizona Architecture from the Archives.
For more information about the architecture of Alfred Newman Beadle and an online archive of his work, visit the Modern Phoenix website www.beadlearchive.com