Sanford Greenfield

NEWTON—Sanford Greenfield, an innovator in architectural education, passed away on September 1, 2015.  He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Stella, and children Lise, Daniel, and Stefanie. As Director of the Boston Architectural Center, Mr. Greenfield (Sandy) was the driving force behind the accreditation of the school, now known as the Boston Architectural College. He fought to unlock entry to the profession for students from all walks of life. A President of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture and a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects he went on to lead Schools of Architecture at Iowa State University and at New Jersey Institute of Technology. In architecture, the BAC was a rare institution in the 1970s. Mr. Greenfield helped create and nurture an environment that allowed students to work during the day while studying at night. Peter Vanderwarker, Boston’s well-known architectural photographer and early hire by Sandy described him as “equal parts cowboy, negotiator, agitator, and wit.”

 Born in Brooklyn, raised in the Bronx, Sanford Raymond Greenfield was the grandchild of Brooklyn dairy farmers and the first in his family to attend college. He left home at 18 to serve in the Navy in the South Pacific and was an eyewitness to the aftermath of the destruction of Nagasaki. Upon his return, he used the GI bill to study architecture; graduating first from MIT and later, earning advanced degrees from MIT and Harvard University. Recipient of several awards as a student, including the Fulbright Scholarship, Mr. Greenfield was mentored by many of the giants of Modern Architecture including Walter Gropius, Louis Kahn, and Buckminster Fuller. 

 Co-founder with Paul Carrol of a successful private practice, Sandy headed up many civic projects in and around Boston including the Cardinal Cushing Library t St. Johns Seminary and major renovations to the State House, Mt. Auburn Hospital and several MBTA stations. However, Sandy Greenfield discovered his true calling in education. A strong sense of duty and gratitude for the help he had received drove him to help others. A life-long mentor to his students and colleagues, Mr. Greenfield believed that higher education should be available to all and he made it his life’s work.

 “He didn’t just open doors,” said Elsie Hurst, a colleague at the BAC, “He built those doors and then let us walk through them.”

Services were held  at Temple Israel, 477  Longwood  Ave., Boston, on Friday, September 4, 2015 .