William Murray
WhisnantFAIA

(1932–2024)

Murray Whisnant was born in Charlotte and graduated from Charlotte Central High in 1950. An architect, designer, inventor, furniture maker and artist, Whisnant studied at the NCSU School of Design. After graduation in 1956 he worked with three firms in Charlotte: Paul L. Snyder; Sloan and Wheatley; and Sloan Mackintosh Wheatley and Benton. In January 1960, he became partner with Charles Wheatley. Whisnant left to set up his own firm in 1978. In addition to architecture, Whisnant was a designer of modern furniture with many exhibitions.

In the early 1990s, he was the third recipient of the Kamphoefner Prize. He was voted one of the top 50 architects in America by Town and Country Magazine. In the Triangle, his best-known work is the 1968 Van Hecke-Wettach Building (the UNC-Chapel Hill Law School), below. 2016 Article / 2020 Video.