Lenox R. Lohr
Major Lenox Riley Lohr was a contributor to the development of Chicago's lake front; organizer of exhibitions including the Century of Progress and Chicago Railroad Fairs; longtime president of Chicago's Museum of [Science and Industry (Chicago)|Museum of Science and Industry] and promoter of civic and charitable causes.
Early years
Lenox Riley Lohr was born in Washington, D.C. in 1891, a cousin of John Philip Sousa. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University in 1916 and took a commission as a second lieutenant in the same year in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.World War I
Lohr served with the American Expeditionary Forces in France where he advanced to the rank of major. He was awarded a Silver Star for gallantry in the Meuse–Argonne offensive. While taking a course in cryptography under William F. Friedman at the Riverbank Laboratory, he developed a method for the solution of certain transposition ciphers.The 1920s
From 1922 to 1929 Major Lohr worked in various capacities for the Army from 1922 to 1929 including executive secretary of the Society of American Engineers and was the editor of its journal The Military Engineer. In 1929 he resigned from the Army and was hired by Rufus C. Dawes, brother of former vice-president, Charles Dawes, as general manager of Chicago's Century of Progress world's fair. In his role he was primarily responsible for the coordination of construction, promotion and financial organization. The Century of Progress exhibition was a rare example of a world's fair that not only repaid all its investors in full, but closed with a surplus.The 1930s
After the close of the Century of Progress Major Lohr was hired as President of NBC Radio where he supervised NBC's earliest experiment with television. He also was involved in the negotiations and litigation which forced NBC to divest itself of its Blue Network.Museum of Science and Industry
In 1940 Major Lohr was named to succeed Rufus Dawes as president of Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. At the time the museum was struggling to survive and find a place among other museums. Major Lohr changed the focus of the museum away from history and developed the concept of inviting business firms to establish state-of-the art exhibits with a commercial connection included. Under his 28-year tenure the museum became one of Chicago's most popular destinations.Under his management several iconic exhibits were established including Christmas Around the World, Santa Fe model railroad, Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle, walk-through human heart and U-505 WWII German submarine.