David Blackburn with R.J. Allen & Associates in Oxford, Mississippi, has chosen to sponsor HowardMeyer.org for the next three years. HowardMeyer.org is a website that is dedicated to a documentary about Howard Meyer, a Dallas, Texas based architect. The site is focused on providing information about Meyer to students and schools to use for free. Meyer was an architect throughout the 1950s and his designs and innovation live on in many structures throughout Dallas.
“It’s an honor to be able to help the organization to get this information to schools and students,” says Blackburn. “This film highlights Meyer’s life in architecture and is certain to be a benefit to those who are learning the trade.”
The Howard Meyer organization released their own statement about the sponsorship, saying that they are deeply grateful for Blackburn and Blackburn Communities for the sponsorship and in helping them to keep the project alive.
In the late 1980s, Howard Meyer was ending his architectural practice and transferring his archives to the University of Texas Alexander Architectural Archive. Carolyn Clark, a past client of Meyer’s worked with Jim Murray, a Dallas based filmmaker, to produce a short film that highlighted the life and work of Howard Meyer. This film is now being used to motivate and teach students who are currently studying architecture. Blackburn says that it is very much like the Holy Grail for architecture students.
“Students are very blessed to have this information, this documentary to teach them,” Blackburn says. “Howard Meyer made significant contributions in the field of architecture in Dallas, TX and it pleases me to no end to know that I am helping to keep his vision, and that of Carolyn Clark, alive for the foreseeable future.”
The film has been in the works since the early 1990s, however the project was untouched for decades until Carolyn Clark reinitiated it in 2009. Filmmaker J. Mitchell Johnson and architect W. Mark Gunderson are now collaborating to create a new film that will revise major portions of the original film and include outtakes that were not part of the original film.
The film is being funded in party by David Blackburn Oxford MS, and the website is set up to provide an educational resource for teachers and students who are interested in modern architecture as it was designed during the 1950s in Dallas. Part of the funding for the film is to ensure that it is available in multiple formats, and that an objective is available for all educators and professionals to download and use for free in their teachings.
Blackburn joined R.J. Allen & Associates in 2002 to help them in their expansion and diversification of commercial developments. Blackburn has a Masters degree in Accountancy from Ole Miss and was a prime candidate for the position with the firm due to his construction management experience as well as his residential, commercial and missed-use development experience throughout the state of Mississippi.
Blackburn oversaw an expansion within the company for a number of residential and commercial projects in Mississippi. These projects included restaurants, residential communities, convenience stores, and a number of retail establishments. He states that his experience comes from a plethora of different development types. He has experience in managing construction and renovations of adult communities, condominiums and apartment complexes across Mississippi, as well.
R.J. Allen & Associates state that their growth since bringing Blackburn on board has been substantial. They state that he has been a crucial component to their expansion in a number of industries across the state of Texas. Those who are interested in learning more about Howard Meyer’s legacy or more about the firm can visit them online. The company’s website provides a complete bio of Blackburn outlining his education and experience. The Howard Meyer organization’s website gives more information about the sponsorship as well as the film and provides an area for students and teachers to learn more about the project and to contact the organization with any questions.
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For more information about R.J. Allen & Associates, contact the company here:
R.J. Allen & Associates
David Blackburn
662.513.4194
info@rjaa.com
2088 Old Taylor Road Oxford, Mississippi 38655
