Martin "Rudy" Haase

Rudy Haase was a student from fall 1939 to spring 1942. After BMC, he studied naval architecture at the University of Michigan. In an interview with Mary Emma Harris in 1995, he shared that he held that career all his life, working mostly on conservation projects. He shared, "I founded an international conservation organization named Friends of Nature. That was founded in 1954, specifically to save an island on the Maine coast."

Black Mountain College Project

Mary Emma Harris interviewed Rudy in 1995 (transcript) and 2002 (transcript) which are available from Appalachian State University under The Mary Emma Harris and Black Mountain College Project, Inc. Oral History collection.

Topics 1995: Louis Adamic article on BMC - Background in Milwaukee - Application process to college - Study of naval architecture- BMC courses - Influence of mother - Studies Building construction - Post-BMC studies - Founding of Friends of Nature - Influence of BMC

Topics 2002: Hearing about BMC – family background – first train trip to BMC – Josef Albers classes – general curriculum – informal relationship with faculty – Frenchfamily – Alamoosook Camp – post-BMC connection to Scott and Helen Nearing – BMC students – Lee Hall – mealtimes – Studies Building construction – Charlie Godfrey – Larry Kocher’s architect class – Pearl Harbor – marriage to Mickey Haase – BMC entertainment – importance of mountain environment – Albert Einstein visit – Walter and Gerald Barnes – leaving BMC – service in World War Two – founding of Friends of Nature and activities of organization – post-BMC professional work – visit to John Campbell in Costa Rica – importance of BMC to later work – Ted Dreier – death of Mark Dreier – Fernando Leon – Ruth O’Neill

Asheville Art Museum Collection

Writings about Rudy can be seen in digitized college bulletins on Asheville Art Museum's collection website: collection.ashevilleart.org. They can be found by searching these accession numbers:

2017.40.024 September 1944 bulletin, "Rudy Haase, enlisted in the College Naval Program at the University of Michigan, is continuing his regular engineering course and taking, in addition, four hours of naval training every day."

Courses Taken

Fall 1939-1940: Drawing I, Economics I, Readings in Literature, Modern European History, Orchestra, Work Program

Spring 1939-1940: Drawing I, Economics I, Readings in Literature, Modern European History, Orchestra, Play Production III, Work Program

Fall 1940-1941: Contemporary Architecture, Contemporary Architecture Drawing, Ecology in Relation to Man, Advanced Economics, Mathematical Analysis, Orchestra, WorkProgram

Spring 1940-1941: Contemporary Architecture, Contemporary Architecture Drawing, Ecology in Relation to Man, Advanced Economics, Mathematical Analysis, Orchestra, WorkProgram

Fall 1941-1942: Contemporary Architecture II, General Physics, Political Theory, Introductory Psychology, Design, Work Program

Spring 1941-1942: Contemporary Architecture II, General Physics, Structural Design I, Introductory Psychology, Political Theory, Work Program