Editing Paul Philippe Cret (section)

== French Training ==

Paul Philippe Cret was born in Lyon, France, in 1876 and trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, the premier architectural school of the era. The École's rigorous curriculum emphasized rational planning, axial composition, and the integration of architecture with allied arts. Students learned to organize buildings around clear circulation systems and to express different functions through varied architectural treatment. This training provided principles that Cret would apply throughout his career, adapting Beaux-Arts methods to American conditions and modern requirements.<ref name="tatum">{{cite book |last=Tatum |first=George B. |title=Penn's Great Town: 250 Years of Philadelphia Architecture |year=1961 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |location=Philadelphia}}</ref>

Cret came to America in 1903 to teach at the University of Pennsylvania, joining a faculty that sought to establish Beaux-Arts methods in American architectural education. His influence on Penn's program proved transformative, producing students who would practice Beaux-Arts principles across the nation. Cret's combination of design talent and pedagogical skill made him valuable to both school and profession, while his European background brought sophistication that American architecture schools sought to emulate.<ref name="grossman"/>