Businessman urges city to make more of R. Buckminster Fuller ties – The Southern

LES O'DELLThe Southern

Scott Thorne thinks Carbondale and Southern Illinois University Carbondale are missing out on a great opportunity.

The area businessman and marketing instructor at Southeast Missouri State University wonders why SIU and Carbondale do not recognize and celebrate connections with noted architect and futurist R. Buckminster Fuller.

On his Carbondale Gazette blog last week, Thorne questioned the lack of commemoration of Fullers time in Carbondale. He called Fuller one of the great minds of the 20th century.

Thorne wrote, It has always surprised me that Carbondale does not do more to play up the citys connection to him, and musing, Why not play up the connection they have to one of the few figures of international renown to call the city home?

Fuller was a designer, architect, philosopher, inventor and futurist perhaps best-known for his development of the geodesic dome. In fact, Fuller and his wife Anne lived in a dome on Forest Avenue in Carbondale from 1960 to 1971 during his tenure as a professor of design science exploration at SIU. It is the only dome in which he ever lived.

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The home, which has been painstakingly restored by a not-for-profit organization, is one of several domes in community Thorne noted in his blog post, identifying two picnic-shelter-style domes on the SIU campus, a dome near the Gaia House Interfaith Center and one other geodesic dome residence in southwestern Carbondale.

Still, Thorne thinks there should be more than a few structures to honor Fuller.

If we are looking for some ways to make Carbondale stand out from other communities, emphasizing the fact that this is one of the few places where Fuller actually was a professor would be something, Thorne said.

He suggested further recognition of Fuller.

Id like to see a statue acknowledging him or renaming a building or naming a street after him; some sort of public acknowledgment of arguably one of the greatest thinkers of the last half of the 20th century who spent time and worked here, he said.

Carbondale resident and Fuller fan Brent Ritzel agrees with Thorne. He was one of the organizers of a Fuller Future Festival about ten years ago.

We just need to embrace Fullers legacy, Ritzel said. The bottom line is that the dome home has to be one of the top Bucky assets on planet Earth. We really have an incredibly unique asset here and we need to take advantage of it.

Ritzel said he believes that the dome could potentially draw thousands of visitors to Carbondale annually. He added that he personally has hundreds of Fuller artifacts which he believes would make the beginnings of a future Fuller museum exhibition.

Carbondale architect Thad Heckman, who co-authored Buckys Dome, a history of Fullers Forest Avenue home and its restoration, said he thinks winds of change are bringing Fuller more prominence in the community.

I think in the last number of years, change is really coming into effect, he said. He explained grants from the City of Carbondale have assisted in the resurrection of the dome and he is designing a tribute to Fuller which will be included in Carbondales new Southern Illinois Multi-Modal Station.

I think theres more of an awareness now in a positive way around campus of Bucky and they city is certainly very much aware and supportive of efforts to honor him, he said, adding that SIU now offers a honors class on R. Buckminster Fuller.

I think more needs to happenawareness of Buckminster Fuller, promotion for the domethose kinds of things, he added.

Carbondale City Manager Gary Williams has a photo of Fuller on his desk. He said Fullers history and reputation should be cultivated.

We see the dome as a tourist attraction that has a year-round presence in Carbondale and I think there are more opportunities that the city and university can use to take advantage of Fullers affiliation.

Williams said the city shares the same vision as the R. Buckminster Fuller Dome organization: to fulfill Fullers vision and preserve his legacy.

We absolutely should acknowledge it more and celebrate the unique aspects, he said.

Thorne is taking action to recognizing Fuller. Students from Brehm Preparatory School are painting a geodesic dome mural on the side of his Castle Perilous store in downtown Carbondale. But still, hed like to see more to connect R. Buckminster Fuller and Carbondale.

We paint paw prints every year, so why not do something that calls attention to the communitys link to Fuller? he wondered.

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Businessman urges city to make more of R. Buckminster Fuller ties - The Southern