Gary DeCourcy

Hi, My name is Gary DeCourcy. I think I may be one of the earliest SIU Design Department students to graduate with a Master of Science degree in Visual Communication at SIU Carbondale. I studied under Elsa Kula, Herb Roan, Harold Grosowsky and Buckminster Fuller. Harold Cohen mentored me through the final year of my Masters thesis preparation. Once it was written and accepted I defended it before a review board. I graduated in 1962. I was part of the design department team that worked closely with the lead architect, Gio Obata, for the SIU Edwardsville campus. We developed the directional graphics and signage for the new campus. I also worked with that same team of students and staff in developing and presenting the concept for the new campus in a major presentation in downtown East St Louis. I am very proud to say that fellow design student Howard Cotton and I wrote, filmed and edited the 1961 film, entitled "Help Wanted White". This documentary depicted job discrimination in the Carbondale area during the '60s. This film was shown in the movie theater in downtown Carbondale and also was selected to be shown at the Convention of University Film Makers in San Francisco and to the Convention of International Film Makers in Berkeley, California. There were 900 entries to the 1961 St Louis Advertising Art Directors Club Awards Exhibition and dinner. The entries from the SIU Design Department came away with nearly 10% of the medals and certificates awarded at that exhibit. Those staff and students recognized with winning presentations were: Elsa Kula (Best of Show),Ed Zielinski, Harold Grosowsky, Herb Meyer, Ron Bishop, Harold Cohen, Richard Kuroski, David Miles and Gary DeCourcy. My professional career involved the publishing industry at McGraw-Hill and the social expression industry at Sangamon, Inc. I found the SIUDESIGN web site searching for information about Elsa and Harold Grosowsky and I have really enjoyed my experience working my way through it. Gary DeCourcy