George E. Pettengill ’33 died on September 13, 2013, in Jonesborough, Tennessee.
He was born in Cambridge on June 5, 1913, son of the late Ray W. Pettengill of the Class of 1905, and grandson of the late George T. Little, Class of 1877. He prepared for college at Saratoga Springs (N.Y.) High School, and graduated cum laude from Bowdoin, a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.
He went on to earn a bachelor of science in 1934 and a master’s degree in 1938, both from the Columbia University School of Library Service. He worked as a reference assistant at the New York Public Library from 1935 to 1937, as a reference librarian at the public library in Reading, Pa., from 1937 to 1945, and as an assistant librarian at the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He worked until his retirement as librarian at the American Institute of Architects in Washington, D.C., then as librarian emeritus and consultant.
He was a named an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects in 1962 in recognition for “building up the AIA Library from small beginnings to an outstanding architectural library.” He was cited by the AIA president in 1970 for managing the restoration of the Octagon House in Washington, D.C., which houses the AIA Library. He also was an authority on rare stamps and coins.
He is survived by son Richard L. Pettengill ’64. He was predeceased by brother Daniel W. Pettengill ’37.