Bill Text: MI SR0124 | 2017-2018 | 99th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: A resolution to memorialize Michael Quinn.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2018-02-01 - Adopted [SR0124 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2017-SR0124-Enrolled.html
SR124, As Adopted by Senate, February 1, 2018
Senators Warren, Schuitmaker, Schmidt, Ananich, Bieda, Booher, Conyers, Hansen, Hertel, Hood, Hopgood, Horn, Jones, Kowall, Pavlov, Proos and Rocca offered the following resolution:
Senate Resolution No. 124.
A resolution to memorialize Michael Quinn.
Whereas, It is with deep sadness that we have learned of the passing of Michael “Mike” Lee Quinn, FAIA; and
Whereas, Today we honor the life and work of this great Michigander, with genuine respect for his distinctive accomplishments; and
Whereas, Mr. Quinn was a talented and esteemed architect, specializing in historic preservation, and who played an integral role in the 1987-1992 restoration as well as the 2014-2016 renewal of the Michigan State Capitol; and
Whereas, Throughout his long and prolific career, and as Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Mr. Quinn was responsible for preserving countless historic buildings in Michigan and across the country, including Hill Auditorium at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, the Croswell Opera House in Adrian, and the former Wayne County Courthouse in Detroit; and
Whereas, Mr. Quinn began working in an architect’s office at the age of only thirteen; and
Whereas, In 1969, he graduated from the University of Michigan, obtaining a Bachelor of Science Degree in Architecture; and
Whereas, After spending two years in the Peace Corps in Barbados, he returned to his studies, and, in 1974, participated in the Denmark International Studies Program in Architecture at the University of Copenhagen; and
Whereas, That same year he earned a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Michigan; and
Whereas, Upon graduating, Mr. Quinn joined the architectural firm of Preservation Urban Design, Inc., where he worked with Richard “Dick” Frank, FAIA, an early leader in historic preservation in Michigan; and
Whereas, While employed at Preservation Urban Design, Inc., he also became acquainted with David Evans, another University of Michigan alumnus, who shared his passion for urban design and the revitalization of historic downtowns; and
Whereas, Together, in 1984, they founded Quinn Evans Architects, a two-person practice with offices in Washington, D.C., and Ann Arbor, Michigan; and
Whereas, The firm quickly gained a reputation as a preservation-based practice excelling in research, design authenticity, economic viability, and long-term sustainability; and
Whereas, This combination of important skills helped Quinn Evans Architects win the honor of serving as the implementing architects for two important facets of the Capitol’s 1987-1992 restoration including the interior restoration of the Governor’s Office, and the restoration of the Capitol’s envelope; and
Whereas, During the exterior project the Capitol’s iconic dome was stripped and repainted, and the badly deteriorated sandstone staircases were reconstructed; and
Whereas, Work in the Governor’s Office included conserving two original nineteenth century ceilings, locating and installing antique lighting fixtures, replicating period appropriate carpeting, and recreating the massive walnut doors into the governor’s personal office; and
Whereas, Upon its conclusion in 1992, the Capitol’s restoration won several national architectural and engineering awards, and was named a National Historic Landmark; and
Whereas, Quinn Evans Architects returned to the Capitol nearly twenty-five years later to continue the preservation of the Capitol’s exterior during the 2014-2016 Capitol renewal; and
Whereas, Chief among the accomplishments of this project was the recreation and installation of all the decorative elements missing from the dome, including hundreds of balls, acanthus leaves, and decorative scrolls; and
Whereas, The exterior sandstone was meticulously repointed, and approximately two hundred decorative stone modillions were replaced with exact replicas, sourced from the same sandstone formation as the Capitol’s original sandstone; and
Whereas, Under Mr. Quinn’s and Mr. Evans’s leadership, the firm of Quinn Evans Architects grew to be a national leader in historic preservation employing over 130 people with offices in Washington, D.C.; Ann Arbor and Detroit, Michigan; Baltimore, Maryland; and Madison, Wisconsin; and
Whereas, Throughout his long career, Mr. Quinn played a leading role in many important projects, including the Pope-Leighey House by Frank Lloyd Wright, the City Opera House in Traverse City, the Wren Building at the College of William and Mary, the Milwaukee Federal Building and Old Courthouse, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoological Park, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the Peabody Conservatory of Music at Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. Treasury Building, the dome of the Colorado State Capitol, and the Dana Samuel Trask Building and the Glazier Building on the campus of the University of Michigan; and
Whereas, Mr. Quinn is survived by his wife, Pat Scheel; three children, David, Samuel, and Hannah Quinn; two step-daughters, Jamarie Geller and Aubree Blumer; step-son-in-law, David Blumer; and his sisters, Patricia Ritchie (Dennis) and Jane Paccamonti (Dale); and
Whereas, Surviving him also are the hundreds of historic buildings across this state and the nation that he helped to preserve and restore for future generations; and
Whereas, His legacy will long live in these grand and glorious historic structures; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate, That the members of this legislative body proudly memorialize Michael Quinn, and offer words of praise about his extraordinary contributions to the people of Michigan; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Quinn family with our highest esteem and heartfelt gratitude.
