Born on August 17, 1924 in Red Lodge, Montana, Alfred Harrison Croonquist grew up on a dude ranch called “Camp Senia.” Upon the death of his father in 1938 when Alfred was 13, he became the head of the household and started working various jobs to support his mother and sister. Upon graduation from high school in Billings, Montana, he enlisted in the US Navy in 1942 and joined the Naval Aviator Program. After having attained the rank of lieutenant and earning his wings during the war, he enrolled at Montana State College as a business major but transferred to the University of Washington in 1947 to study architecture.

Upon graduation and gaining his architectural license in 1951, Croonquist went to work for the architectural firm of Decker & Christenson. Despite being raised to the level of associate, in 1956 he decided to leave the firm and open his own independent practice. For the next fifty-plus years, the firm completed a wide variety of projects for a diverse group of clients, including the US Navy, the University of Washington, and the Boeing Company. Notable projects include Sunset Bowl (1957); Leilani Lanes Bowling Alley (1961); By’s Restuarant in Bellevue (1962); Endslow Medical-Dental Clinic (1964); the Clayton Watinkins House (1965) in Bellevue; the Mutual Fish Co. Building (1966); an addition to the LynnTwin Theater (1966) in Lynwood; the Harry F. Olson Construction Co. Office (1966); the Benson Apartments in Renton (1968); an addition to the University of Washington School of Art (1969); and the UW Ceramics & Metal Arts Building (1969).

Croonquest and his wife were heavily involved with the AIA. Alfred served on the Board of Directors in the 1960s (1964-1967), and his wife was active in the Women’s Guild. By the 1980s, Croonquist and his firm began to specialize in tilt-up light industrial buildings and warehouses creating numerous structures around the Puget Sound region. In 1995, Croonquist retired and sold the firm to Mulvanney Architects (today known as Mulvanney G2 Architects).

Croonquist passed away in Seattle at the age of 78 on May 8, 2003.

– Michael C Houser