William+Le+Baron+Jenney


 * William Le Baron Jenney **

**Biography:**  William Le Baron Jenney was born on September 25,1832 in Fairhaven Massachusetts. His grandfather was a captain on a ship, and his father owned a ship yard. This allowed him to travel and see the a lot of the world. He had a very good education, and majored in engineering and architecture. In 1861 he joined the union army as an engineer in the Civil War. After the war in 1867, he moved to Chicago and opened his own architectural office.On May 8, 1867, Jenney maried Elizabeth Hannah Cobb, and they had two children named Max and Francis. He died on June 14, 1907 in Los Angeles.

Jenney is famous for designing the ten story Home Insurance building in Chicago. It was the first skyscraper to be fully made out of the metal skeleton.The building was finished in 1885, but it was demolished in 1931. Instead of using stone and brick to support the building's upper levels, he used metal columns and beams. The steel weighed a lot less than the heavy masonry that was used before it. This enabled people to construct even taller buildings. Over all, he made a huge impact on the world and the growth of skyscrapers.
 * Steel-Frame Skyscraper:**