Background
William A. Boring was born in 1859 at Carlinville, Illinois, United States.
William A. Boring was born in 1859 at Carlinville, Illinois, United States.
He studied architecture two years at the University of Illinois. Returning to New York in 1886, Mr. Boring resumed study at Columbia's Department of Architecture, and after he graduated in 1887 went to Paris for three supplementary years at the Ecole des Beaux Arts.
In 1883 left the state to begin his career at Los.Angeles, Calif., where his first work was executed under the firm name of Ripley & Boring. In a later period he collaborated with Sidney I. Haas in preparing plans for the first Los Angeles Times Building and the Santa Monica Hotel (at that time the largest Hostelry in Southern California), lie also practiced under his own name for a brief period.
In New York he joined E. L. Tilton in 1890 in organizing the firm of Boring & Tilton and continued in active practice until 1929.
Mr. Boring had been a member of the faculty of Columbia University since 1930, and at the time of his death was Dean of the School of Architecture.
Elected a member of the New York Chapter, A. I. A. in 1900, Mr. Boring was promoted to Institute Fellowship the following year, and served a term as Vice-president of both the Institute and the Chapter. He was a leading member of the profession in New York, one of the founders and first president of the Society of Beaux Arts Architects, and a member and past president of the Architectural League. In addition he served on the New York Art Commission. He was also a member of the National Academy of Design, and one of the officers of the American Academy at Rome.