Charles Henry Atherton (June 24, 1932December 3, 2005), FAIA, was an American architect and former secretary of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts from 1960 to 2004.
Early life
Atherton was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on June 24, 1932, the son of Brigadier General Thomas Henry Atherton (18841978) and Mary Kidd Mish (19001981). His father was an accomplished architect whose notable works included the Pennsylvania Memorial in Varennes-en-Argonne in France.
Atherton was educated at Princeton University, receiving both an undergraduate degree in architecture in 1954 and a Master of Fine Arts in architecture in 1957.
Career
After graduation he served in the U.S. Naval Civil Engineering Corps and worked as an architect for the Central Intelligence Agency for three years.
