Archives West Finding Aid

Many architects are represented in this collection, most notably Raymond Ashton, B.E. "Bud" Brazier, Raymond Evans, and Frederick Montmorency.

Raymond Joy Ashton was born in Salt Lake City in the Utah Territory in 1887. He graduated in Engineering from the University of Utah, and soon thereafter left on a Latter-day Saint mission to the Netherlands. He was released in April 1912 and married Winnie Richards the next year in Salt Lake City where he designed several well-regarded residential works.

In 1916 they moved to Chicago where Ashton attended night school at Atelier Puckey (a member of the Society of Beaux-Arts Architects) and at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and worked as a draftsman for several Chicago firms. He returned to Salt Lake City in 1918 working with Francis D. Rutherford and independently through 1922 at which time he and Raymond Evans began the Ashton & Evans architectural partnership.

Ashton served his profession and the community in many positions during his 50+ year career: American Institute of Architects (national president, 1943–1945); American Architectural Foundation (board president); Chamber of Commerce (Salt Lake Board of Governors), and many more.

Ashton continued to serve as Senior Managing Principal at the firm through its changing leadership and names until full retirement – and a move to Prescott, Arizona – in 1970. He passed away in Prescott, Arizona in 1973.

Bernis Eugene (Bud) Brazier, Sr. was born in 1908 in Salt Lake City. He graduated from the University of Utah in engineering and served a mission for the Latter-day Saint church in France from 1929–1932 and was assigned to the Chicago World's Fair (Central States Mission) in 1933. He then lived briefly in San Francisco, California.

After the war, he joined Ashton & Evans architects (1945) and became a partner in 1946 at which time the firm was renamed Ashton, Evans & Brazier. Although the firm worked in a collaborative model, he is known as the primary architect of two mega-projects: the Salt Lake City Veterans Hospital (1948–1949) and the University of Utah Medical Center (1959–1965). At his death (1970) he was president of the firm then named Brazier, Montmorency, Hayes and Talbot.

Brazier was active in his profession and community: American Institute of Architects (Utah chapter president); Utah Building and Construction Congress (president); Utah Construction Industry Council (president); and member of the Rotary Club, Ambassador Club, and University Club among many others.

Raymond Leslie Evans was born in Salt Lake City in 1895 into a family of craftsmen. He began working as a draftsman at seventeen (1912) and graduated from Salt Lake (West) High School the next year.

He continued drafting work with top-tier Utah firms (Ware & Treganza, Cannon & Fetzer, Woolley & Evans) until World War I intervened. Evans registered for the draft and was inducted in mid-1918. After military training in the building trades, he left for Europe serving in the 313th Engineers in France. When he returned, he and Raymond Ashton began the Ashton & Evans partnership.

In 1923, Evans married Emily Marie Lewis and his two daughters reported that he "loved his work and work was his life. Saturdays he worked, Sundays he worked, and the weekdays he worked."

Evans was active in service clubs and community affairs and worked very hard in them, but always in the background. He was an active member of: American Institute of Architects (Utah chapter president); Utah State Architects' Examining board, Fort Douglas Club, Aviation Club, and many more.

In January 1963, Evans was selected as the second recipient of the Gold Medal Award by the Utah Chapter of the American Institute of Architects for his notable and meritorious service to the profession. He worked until the end and passed away in Salt Lake City in October 1963.

Frederick Luther (Fred) Montmorency was born in 1929 in Ogden UT. He graduated from the University of Utah with degrees in Fine Arts (1953) and Architecture (1954). He married Carole Jean Eccles in Cedar City UT soon after graduation (1954) and went right to work for Ashton, Evans & Brazier architects at age 26 (1955). He became a partner in 1963 at the firm then known as Ashton, Brazier, Montmorency and Associates; then Montmorency, Hayes and Talbot (1970-1979); and finally MHT Architects (1980).

During his architectural career, he was involved in hundreds of office buildings, schools, and other structures throughout the intermountain west. He had a direct hand in the design of the University of Utah Medical Center, Kennecott Building, Utah Law and Justice Center, among many other well-known structures. His passion and commitment to architecture live on through the Fred Montmorency Scholarship at the University of Utah Graduate School of Architecture.

He was a capable leader who actively participated on many professional, corporate, and civic boards: American Institute of Architects (Utah chapter president); Utah Safety Council (vice president); LDS Hospital; Blue Cross Blue Shield; Nelson Ricks; LDS Conference Center Planning Committee; Bonneville Kiwanis; Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, "Salt Shakers" Goodwill Ambassadors, and many others.

Montmorency was president of the firm (then Montmorency, Hayes and Talbot Architects) in 1991 when he spearheaded the project to donate many of the firm's archival drawings to the University of Utah. He passed away in 2006.