McHenry, Paul G(raham), Jr. 1924-2002

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McHENRY, Paul G(raham), Jr. 1924-2002

OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born January 23, 1924, in Chicago, IL; died of a heart and lung failure January 22, 2002, in Albuquerque, NM. Architect and author. McHenry was an authority on the construction of adobe homes. A student at the University of New Mexico when World War II began, he served in the U.S. Air Force as a tail gunner. After the war he completed his degree in business in 1948 and started a commercial construction company. When he decided to try building a home out of adobe bricks, he enjoyed the experience so much that he made it his life's passion. McHenry became an expert in building the structures, and eventually returned to school to earn a master's degree in architecture from his alma mater in 1974. He wrote three books on his favorite subject: Adobe: Build It Yourself (1972), Adobe and Rammed-Earth Buildings: Design and Construction (1984), and The Adobe Story: A Global Treasure (1996). Students from around the world visited him to learn his techniques, and he helped rewrite New Mexico building codes regarding earthen buildings. McHenry was also the founder of the nonprofit Earth Building Foundation.

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Washington Post, February 4, 2002, p. B7.

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