William J. Holloway Jr. United States Courthouse
The William J. Holloway Jr. United States Courthouse (formerly the Federal Building and United States Courthouse) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma and the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Building history By the mid-1950s, the federal government had outgrown its courtroom and office space in Oklahoma City in the 1912 U.S. Post Office and Courthouse. Judge Alfred P. Murrah spearheaded the effort to secure funding for a new federal building and courthouse to be constructed directly north of the existing building. The government selected Oklahoma architect Dow Gumerson to design the new building. At that time, architects were designing federal buildings in Modern styles using innovative forms and materials. Following these trends while also retaining some traditions such as the use of high-quality materials and minimal Classical detailing, Gumerson eschewed the ornate architecture of the past and designed an unadorned yet dignified building. Gumerson's plans for the new five-story building were approved in 1959. Gumerson incorporated several innovative ideas for the interior spaces, which he designed for flexibility and function. When the federal judges indicated that they were resolving many cases through efficient