Ralph E Rapson was born in Alma, MI, on September 13, 1914. He attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and was Head of the School of Architecture at the University of Minnesota for 30 years.
Rapson worked at Saarinen’s architectural office from 1940 to 1941. He then taught architecture at the New Bauhaus School in Chicago from 1942 to 1946.
Rapson made furniture and accessories for Knoll Furniture in the 1940s and had a furniture line in the 1950s. One of his most notable pieces is the Rapson Rapid Rocker shown in the photo.