Bull, Frank James, 2010 December 01

This is a Living History interview with Frank Bull, class of 1943, conducted by Marilyn Somers on December 1, 2010 at his home in Sandy Springs, Georgia. The subject of the interview is the interviewee’s life and experiences at Georgia Tech.

Mr. Bull was born on June 25, 1922 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was very close with his maternal family, including his maternal grandmother who was from Germany. Mr. Bull is very close with his two sisters, and remains in touch with them today. As a young boy, Mr. Bull would go to work with his father who was an architect. He grew to love the office as well as the field of architecture. Mr. Bull attended Chattanooga High School where he was very active in the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). He began searching for colleges, and could not attend his first choice, California Tech, because his family could not afford it. Mr. Bull decided to attend Georgia Tech without ever setting foot on campus, although he had heard of Bobby Dodd and the Ramblin’ Wreck. He lived in Harris Dormitory with a roommate from New York City. Every student at the time was required to be a member of the Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC), and Mr. Bull chose to join the Navy. He remembers wearing a RAT cap and participating in events such as the Pajama Parades and Shirttail Parades. Mr. Bull did not know much about the fraternity system, but decided to accept his bid at Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He chose to live in the fraternity house the following year, and enjoyed going on excursions out into Atlanta with friends. Mr. Bull tried out for the Georgia Tech cheerleading team, but because of fraternity politics, was unable to secure a position. He remembers the Interfraternity Council dances, as well as the dances that were held by fraternities individually. They were the social scene on campus, and many people would invite dates from out of town. During his sophomore year, Mr. Bull participated in a design competition with the help of P.M. Heffernan that he tied for first place. During that summer, Mr. Bull used his prize money to participate in the Civil Pilots Training Program after which he received his pilot’s license. Mr. Bull then accepted a job with Pan American Airways as a pilot. He flew planes across the Atlantic and around the world as part of World War II. After the war was over, Mr. Bull returned to Tech on the G.I. Bill, but remained in the 1939 catalog so that he did not have to take the updated requirements for architecture, which included calculus. He became very close with several members of the Georgia Tech faculty including P.M. Heffernan, Dick Aeck and Dean Griffin. After graduating, he went to work for Dick Aeck in his firm, and shortly thereafter, married his wife Elizabeth. Mr. Bull remained with Dick Aeck for around eight years, at which point he opened his own office with his friend, Jack Kenney. The firm was successful but never grew very large. He was also influential and fundamental in the development of the Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School. Mr. Bull worked closely with Elliott Galloway, and eventually helped to establish the Galloway school in Atlanta. Mr. Bull has one son, Birney Bull, who is an adoption lawyer based out of Savannah. Bernie married and has two children, Mr. Bull’s grandchildren.