Oct ober ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁– ▁May ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 5 7 ) ▁was ▁an ▁American ▁architect ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁de an ▁of ▁the ▁M IT ▁School ▁of ▁Architecture ▁from ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁He ▁was ▁instrument al ▁in ▁establish ing ▁a ▁city ▁planning ▁department ▁at ▁M IT . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Em erson ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁His ▁parents , ▁of ▁English ▁and ▁Dutch ▁descent , ▁were ▁Susan ▁Tom p kins ▁and ▁John ▁H aven ▁Em erson , ▁a ▁medical ▁doctor . ▁His ▁father ' s ▁family ▁included ▁poet ▁and ▁ess ay ist ▁Ralph ▁Wal do ▁Em erson , ▁the ▁young ▁Em erson ' s ▁great ▁uncle . ▁▁ ▁Em erson ▁graduated ▁from ▁Harvard ▁College ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 5 , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁Harvard ▁C rim son ▁editor ▁and ▁H ast y ▁P ud ding ▁Club ▁com ed ian . ▁He ▁completed ▁architect ural ▁training ▁at ▁Columbia ▁University ▁and ▁the ▁É cole ▁des ▁Be aux - Ar ts ▁in ▁Paris . ▁He ▁began ▁his ▁practice ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁in ▁New ▁York , ▁foc using ▁on ▁social ▁housing ▁and ▁bank ▁buildings . ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁Em erson ▁returned ▁to ▁Paris ▁for ▁two ▁years ▁as ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Const ruction ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Red ▁Cross . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁Em erson ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and