▁University ▁of ▁Houston ▁and ▁R ice ▁University , ▁and ▁the ▁father ▁of ▁novel ists ▁Donald ▁Bar th el me ▁Jr ▁and ▁Frederick ▁Bar th el me . ▁ ▁Bar th el me ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁August ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 0 7 ▁in ▁Gal vest on , ▁Texas . ▁After ▁studying ▁at ▁the ▁R ice ▁Institute ▁in ▁Houston ▁for ▁two ▁years , ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁he ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Pennsylvania , ▁gradu ating ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 . ▁That ▁same ▁year ▁he ▁married ▁Helen ▁Be cht old ▁of ▁Philadelphia . ▁After ▁gradu ation , ▁he ▁worked ▁as ▁an ▁architect ▁in ▁Philadelphia ▁until ▁late ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 2 , ▁when ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Texas . ▁ ▁A ▁highlight ▁of ▁Bar th el me ' s ▁early ▁career ▁in ▁Texas ▁was ▁his ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁Texas ▁Cent enn ial ▁Ex position , ▁for ▁which ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁lead ▁designer ▁of ▁the ▁ex position ' s ▁center pie ce ▁building , ▁the ▁Hall ▁of ▁State , ▁which ▁is ▁considered ▁a ▁master pie ce ▁of ▁the ▁Art ▁Dec o ▁style ▁and ▁is ▁now ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁the ▁Dallas ▁Historical ▁Society . ▁After ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁he ▁worked ▁on ▁war - related ▁projects . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁designer ▁on ▁the ▁Av ion ▁Village ▁H ous ing ▁Project ▁near ▁Dallas ▁and ▁later ▁was ▁super vis ing ▁architect ▁for ▁the ▁Big ▁Spring ▁Air ▁Base ▁in ▁West ▁Texas ▁and ▁war - related ▁housing ▁projects ▁in ▁Gal