A true Champion of architecture inspires individuals, strengthens firms, and leads the profession.
Two years ago, James P. Cramer called me out of the blue. He had a uniquely pleasant and methodical speaking cadence, taking care when selecting his words. He invited me to participate in his new Cramer Center for Design and Innovation project he was creating at his alma mater, Northern State University, in our mutual hometown of Aberdeen.
During the call. I did what people do: I Googled him.
I was surprised.
James was the former CEO of the American Institute of Architects. He had been publisher of Architecture Magazine, chair of the Design Futures Council, founder of DesignIntelligence, a teacher at Georgia Tech, a published author, and has achieved many other accomplishments. How did I not know that the former CEO of the AIA and a major architecture influencer had been from my hometown?
It’s with some embarrassment and much appreciation that I accepted his invitation to participate in his latest endeavor. Then, James did what folks do from small towns: He made a personal connection.
“Hurlbert is your last name? Are you related to Holly Hurlbert?” he asked.
“Yes, that was my dad,” I said.
“Hmm, I played ball with him on the Smittys,” James said. “He was a very good ball player.” It was a small touch.
Some time afterward, James would send me a team picture with him and my dad in uniform. This thoughtful gesture would be a feature I’d come to expect from James.
James has made a career out of elevating the practice and business of architecture. He has been a one-man knowledge farm, connecting firms and people across the country for several decades. He has turned a curious mind into a fruitful occupation that has benefited many in our industry. Through years as an author and educator, he has dove deeply into the logistics of how firms can turn good design into good business. He has the books to prove it, such as his best seller, “How Firms Succeed”.
Now, James was bringing his interest in all things design back to his home state through the Cramer Center for Design and Innovation at Northern State University, with an ambition to help design succeed right here. He has turned his focus, or more precisely, his passion, on Northern State and on South Dakota.
Perhaps no AIA South Dakota Champion of Architecture has met this criteria more fully — to inspire individuals, to strengthen firms, and to lead our profession — as has James P Cramer. And, even better, he now is focusing that passion in South Dakota.
It is with pleasure that AIA South Dakota bestows upon James P. Cramer a new title: 2025 Champion of Architecture.
