No description available.

The tall office building is a uniquely American invention, designed to meet the demands of industry and commerce. The technical and architectural achievements of the Chicago school of architecture marked the beginning of a new style of architecture for commercial buildings.The creative vitality that was so prevalent in Chicago was felt throughout the Midwest. Chicago style structures in a selected number of Midwestern cities are examined in the context of this thesis and these structures are promoted as historically significant to their locales and as a body of work in general. The purpose of this thesis is to document these structures and to discern the possible reasons for the dissemination of the Chicago school of architecture in the Midwest. / Department of Architecture