A Young Countryman Distinguishes Himself
Denní Hlasatel, Jan. 8, 1922
There surely is not a single countryman in our Chicago colony who would not know the "oldest young man" of Czechoslovak origin--Mr. Tomáš Nedvĕd, who is also known by the nickname "Monstrofioline". [Translators note: This seems to be a nonsense word which cannot be translated into meaningful English.] There are, indeed, many of our countrymen who could tell many anecdotes about him--events and humorous occurrences, many of which would prove to be not only very amusing, but also instructive, especially for the younger generation. This generation ought to regard him as a fit example of a man endowed with unusually good health, amazing vigor, and industry. Nedvĕd often called attention to himself by his ideas and inventions. That he also possesses great artistic skill and temperament was proved by the fact that many years ago he hammered out of a piece of metal a high relief figure of one of our American presidents, to whom he later submitted his work. It was gratefully accepted. He also drew attention to himself by other works; he proved that he is able to utilize his artistic talents in a practical way, and 2that the domain of art is his home. We know that he has a son who lives in Prague who is active as a government architect in Czechoslovakia. He enjoys great fame there.
Therefore it pleases us still more to learn that he also has a nephew who is a member of our Czech colony is Chicago, and who shows great promise. This nephew is our young countryman, Mr. Rudolf J. Nedved, who resides at 2501 South 60th Court, Cicero, Illinois. This young man recently received a letter from the Beaux Arts Institute of New York, the letter reads as follows:
"Dear Sir: Permit me to congratulate you upon winning the First Warren Award for your work 'A Hotel Project'. This award was adjudged on December 13, 1921. I take pleasure in enclosing a check for fifty dollars, which is the amount of the first prize.
"Yours respectfully,
"Lloyd Warren."
3The above letter with the check came to Mr. Rudolf Nedvĕd, who is a student in the Chicago Architectural School, which is a part of the Chicago Art Institute. Nedvĕd graduated from this school under the direction of the well-known professional artist, Professor Edmond Campbell. As we were told by Mr. Nedvĕd, the New York Institute is the foremost institution of its kind in the East, and as such it arranges contests annually. It thus gives an opportunity to all the students of architecture, wherever they may be, either in the universities or the various technological schools. The stipulation of the last contest was a detailed plan for a large hotel which would accommodate three hundred guests. The first prize was fifty dollars, and the second was twenty-five dollars. The plan was to include dining rooms, a ballroom, a rest room, a reading room, kitchens, and rooms for one hundred guests. Further it was to contain some forty buildings which would accommodate two hundred more guests. The larger of these buildings were to be equipped with their own gardens, which, though not isolated from the main building, would still give a feeling of privacy. The drawing was also to indicate a building for two hundred and fifty hotel employees, landing piers 4for small boats, and a small harbor near which the hotel itself would be erected; a swimming pool, playgrounds, bathhouse, and powerhouse. All the dimensions and the precise position of the hotel, which was to face the ocean, were also stipulated.
For the rest, it was indicated that special attention would be paid by the judges to the technical details of the plan, and the prize-winning plans will be subsequently published in "The American Architect". We were told that several thousand took part in this contest. We are therefore quite proud of the fact that the winner of the first prize was a Bohemian, a young industrious countryman who began his career in America as the son of an impecunious immigrant. Also of interest is the fact that prizes from the abovementioned institution used to be given to some Eastern contestants. Mr. Nedvĕd is therefore the first representative of the Middle West to be thus honored. We congratulate him!
Rudolf J. Nedvĕd is the son of our countrymen, Františk Nedvéd and Arnošta 5[Ernestine] Nedvéd, who own a shoe store in Argo, Illinois. He came to the United States with his parents when he was nine years of age. They came directly to Chicago. After graduating from the Cooper Public School, he attended Crane Technical High School, from which he was graduated. He then entered the Armour Institute of Technology where he studied architecture. Several afternoons every week were devoted to a diligent study of art in the local Art Institute. After war was declared, he enlisted in the United States Army with which he served for eight months as a member of the 23rd regiment of sappers. After the Armistice, he went to Paris where he studied for four months in the Ecole des Beaux Arts, also devoting some time to architecture. After his return to America, he received a stipend from the government to continue his studies in the Armour Institute, and although the course there consists of four years of study, he finished it in three, also earning the honor of being the second best student in his class. At the present moment he is employed by the architectural firm of Tallmadge and Watson at Madison and Wells Streets, with which he has been associated for about six months.