Princeton architect Michael Graves is among five people who will be appointed to posts in the Obama administration, it was announced by the White House this week. Mr. Graves, whose office is on Nassau Street, will be a member of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.
Mr. Graves has been paralyzed from the waist down since 2003, when he contracted a bacterial infection. “I am honored to have been appointed to the United States Access Board by President Obama,” he said in an email on Tuesday. “When I became paralyzed, I realized that as an architect and designer, and then a patient, I had a unique perspective. As a result, I became passionate about using this perspective to improve healthcare and accessibility through design projects. Now, as a member of the Access Board, I expect to provide national leadership on accessible design, and hope I can contribute on a grand scale. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Board in pursuit of this important mission.”
Others selected by President Obama for administration posts are Vinton Cerf, to join the National Science Board and National Science Foundation; Marta Araoz de la Torre, to become a member of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee; Laurie Leshin, to join the Advisory Board of the National Air and Space Museum; and Lynne Sebastian, to become a member of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
Mr. Graves is the founding partner of Michael Graves & Associates, an architecture and design firm that he founded in 1964. Since then, the practice has evolved into two firms, the Michael Graves Design Group and Michael Graves & Associates. He is also the Robert Schirmer Professor of Architecture, Emeritus at Princeton University, where he taught for nearly four decades. Mr. Graves is the recipient of numerous awards and honors.
“These fine public servants both bring a depth of experience and tremendous dedication to their new roles,” President Obama said in a press release. “Our nation will be well-served by these individuals, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”
Mr. Graves is scheduled to speak at Princeton Public Library on February 13 at noon as part of the Spotlight on the Humanities Architecture series