Arthur Erickson was a globally renowned architect. He studied at the University of British Columbia and later at McGill University. He studied architecture in Europe, the Middle East and Japan. Because of reputation, Erickson was selected by the University of Lethbridge's Board of Governors to design the university's campus master plan. He was a Vancouver based architect and co chair of his architectural firm with Geoffrey Massey, Erickson-Massey Architects. Time Magazine called Erickson, “Canada's Master Architect” in an article detailing his career written and published shortly after the completion of University Hall. He received many awards including honorary degrees for his architectural works, among them the 1986 Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects and an honorary degree from the University of Lethbridge in 1981. Other noteworthy works include The Museum of Anthropology at UBC, the Provincial Law Courts in Downtown Vancouver, the Simon Fraser University campus, the Canadian Chancery in Washington, DC, and the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington. Erickson passed away on May 20, 2009.
Contact U of L Archives for additional information about the design process for University Hall, the initial Development Plan, as well as correspondance between the University and Erickson/Massey until present. For an overview of available information in the University Archives, see Erickson-redux1-2.