Charles F. Hummel oral history

Charles Frederick Hummel was born June 21, 1925, in Boise to Mary and Frederick “Fritz” Hummel. His father was an architect and one of the founding members of the renowned northwest Tourtellotte and Hummel firm. Charles graduated from St. Theresa’s Academy in 1943, there he met his future wife Calista "Lissa" Frances Ward whom he married in 1951. He enlisted in the Army during World War II as a rifleman in the 398th Infantry. He was wounded in combat in December 1944 for which he was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He returned to combat after being hospitalized for his wounds and after the end of the war stayed in Europe for assignments in occupied Germany and other cities before returning to Boise in April 1946. Hummel also served in the Korean War as a lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers. Prior to his enlistment Hummel attended Boise Junior College then transferred to Catholic University of America after his return from World War II. He received a bachelor's degree in architecture, and after his return from serving in the Korean War received a master’s in architecture from Columbia University. He joined his father’s architecture firm after graduating in 1953. Charles F. Hummel died on October 22, 2016, in Boise, Idaho.