Background
Frederick Ackerman was born at Edmeston, (Otsego County) New York.
Frederick Ackerman was born at Edmeston, (Otsego County) New York.
He graduated from Architecture faculty in 1901 at Cornell University, after which the young man spent two years of supplementary study in European schools.
Mr. Ackerman's early practice was in association with Alexander B. Trow¬bridge in New York, continuing a member of the firm of Trowbridge & Acker¬man from 1906 to 1920. During those years the partners designed the central branch of the Brooklyn Y.M.C.A. and a number of city and suburban resi¬dences. Shortly before the start of World War I Mr. Ackerman prepared a Survey of the Housing and Planning movement in England which was pub¬lished in the Journal of the American Institute of Architects and later brought out in book form. During the war he was appointed Chief of the department of Housing and Planning of the U. S. Shipping Board (of which Robert Kohn was the head) and much of the credit for the remarkable quality of the work turned out by the Board to meet the emergency of the situation is no doubt due to Mr. Ackerman. In the following years he participated in a number of community planning projects, also wrote and lectured on the subject.
At one time he was connected with Sunnyside Gardens, an experimental project of which Alexander Bing was the founder, and was the designer of the terrace houses on 44th Street "of conspicuous architectural merit." He also planned the Community Building and stores for the Radburn Housing project. During the thirties Mr. Ackerman turned his attention again to Public Housing and served as Consultant to Housing Authorities in New York, Providence, R. I., and other cities.