Jay Parke Randall (1927-2016)
Born in Pennsylvania, Randall moved to Missouri in the 10th grade and graduated from Kirkwood High School after the 11th grade to begin engineering coursework at Purdue University. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1945, where he served in the Pacific Theatre in Guam, operating a Small Craft Landing Unit. Following his time in the military, he enrolled at Washington University to study engineering but graduated with a bachelor’s degree in architecture. He was practicing in Indianapolis by 1954.
His employment included work in the offices of: Everett I. Brown, Edward D. Pierre (buried in Crown Hill — see above article), Wright & Porteous-Allied Architects (Alfred Porteous is buried in Crown Hill), Martin & Jelliffe (Wesley Martin is buried in Crown Hill); and J. Parke Randall and Associates before forming the long-standing partnership of Pecsok, Jelliffe, and Randall Architects (1965-1994).
Parke’s distinguished career in architecture merged rather well with his love of photography, receiving many awards in each field, but known for his Mid Century Modern design. Randall is best known in Indianapolis for his work on the City County building during his time with the architectural firm Wright, Porteous, and Associates. He also designed several spectacular mid-century homes in the Indianapolis area. After retiring in 1994, Parke was a library consultant for over 20 years (he designed 33 libraries and completed more than 50 feasibility studies). Parke was well known additionally for his Indianapolis 500 photographic work for the Indianapolis News.
