Ted Darwin

Dero Armistead Darwin, Jr. "TED", 85, died Thursday, October 2, 2014 in NHC of Sparta. A descendant of English colonial settlers of North America and of pioneer families in the Tennessee Upper Cumberland region, he was the only child of the late Dero and Clemma Masters Darwin. Born June 27, 1929 in McMinnville, he was practically a Cookeville native because his father moved the family to Cookeville when he was just two years old. In 1944 Ted was the first capitol page appointed by Albert Gore, Sr. following Gore's election to the Congress of the United States. He graduated from Castle Heights Military Academy in Lebanon, TN and from Vanderbilt University in 1951, where he was a member of Beta Theta Pi international fraternity. Mr. Darwin enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve and was a veteran of the Korean Conflict. In 1954 he was assigned to the U.S. staff at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, where he acted as liaison between SHAPE and the U.S. Embassy in Paris. After receiving an honorable discharge from military service, Mr. Darwin enrolled in the Interior Design Department at Parsons School of Design in New York City, from which he received a certificate with honors in 1964. He was awarded Parsons' European Summer Session Scholarship in 1963, their only scholarship offered solely for academic achievement. He was also awarded both the National Underclass and the National Senior class Scholarships by the National Society of Interior Designers. The second scholarship was presented by the Society at the Huntington-Hartford Museum on Columbus Circle, NYC., and was followed with a champagne reception attended by his parents and friends. Mr. Darwin was subsequently acknowledged and published in "Interiors" and "Interior Design" magazines. Upon graduating from Parsons, Mr. Darwin then worked as an interior designer in New York and Germany. He was the chief designer for several U.S. military officers' clubs in Germany, including Headquarters U.S. Army Europe at Heidelberg, and for New York City's new Bellevue Hospital Center. In addition, Mr. Darwin collaborated on commissions with Elizabeth Arden, Dean Witter, Du Pont, General Electric, Harper and Row, Hilton Hotels and U.S. Plywood, among others. He was a member of the Architectural League of New York, the National Arts Club, and the Salmagundi Club, the oldest professional club in the United States. In Cookeville, Tennessee, Mr. Darwin served the community in many ways. He had been a member of the First Presbyterian Church USA since 1943, and was a Deacon Emeritus. He was proud to have contributed his talents on two major church building projects. He was a member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Tennessee Historical Society, vice-president of the Tennessee State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, and president of its Upper Cumberland Chapter for many years. Mr. Darwin was a founding member and the first president of the Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association, a charter member of the Cookeville Depot Preservation Committee, and he was elected to serve on the first Operation CityScape Board of Directors. Mr. Darwin initiated the drive to obtain historical markers through the Tennessee Historical Commission for the (Cookeville) Town Spring and for Israel Putnam, Putnam County's namesake. He was also instrumental in obtaining historical designation for a portion of North Dixie Avenue. Mr. Darwin was a charter member of First Families of Tennessee and a lifetime member of the Order of the First Families of Maryland. Interest in family history prompted Mr. Darwin and his father to compile a 422-page genealogy of the Bankhead, McCann, and Richmond families. He also assisted Jack Masters with the compilation of his book, MASTERS FAMILY HISTORY, 1691-1989. In 2011, the 114th year of the founding of the "Chase School", Parsons the New School for Design published a catalogue entitled "Radical Shifts: Reshaping the Interior at Parsons, 1955-1985", which outlined curriculum changes. Mr. Darwin was one of nine former interior design graduates featured in the catalogue, and many of his academic renderings were included in the exhibit at the school's gallery, 66 Fifth Avenue, NYC. Graveside Services and interment, with Military Honors, will be in the family plot at Cookeville City Cemetery, Wednesday, October 8 at 3 P.M. with Rev. Pat Handlson officiating. There will be no formal visitation. Memorial contributions may be made to the Darwin Cemetery Fund, % FSG Bank, P.O. Box 11247, Chattanooga, TN 37401, to the Dero Armistead Darwin or Clemma Masters Darwin scholarships at the School of Agriculture and the School of Human Ecology at Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN, 38505, or to a cause important to the donor.