Theodore Charles Paulson

Theodore “Ted” Charles Paulson was born June 13, 1911 in Albert Lee, Minnesota, to Theodora “Dora” and Charles E. Paulson. Mr. Paulson worked as the President of the Freeborn State Bank of Alberta Lea and ten other banks in Minnesota and Northern Iowa. Following the untimely passing of his father (in 1917) and mother (in 1925), Ted was taken in by his grandmother. Shortly thereafter Ted (at age 14) moved to San Diego with his aunt, uncle and cousins. After living in Mt Helix and Point Loma, Ted graduated from San Diego High School and headed to the University of Minnesota.

Ted met June Paulson at the University of Minnesota, where he earned a degree in engineering in 1934. After directing her to use a colon not a semi-colon on an assignment in their English class, June left her boyfriend for the curious man she knew little about. Following their university education, Ted shared with June his desire to return to San Diego.

The young couple were married in 1935 and relocated to San Diego by 1940. A World War II Draft Card, dated October 1940, identified Paulson as working for the Golden-Trepte Construction Company. At the time of his employment Golden Trepte held contracts with Rohr Aircraft Corporation, the Ryan Aeronautical Company, the United States Navy, and Consolidated Aircraft.

By 1944 Paulson worked as an Aeronautical Engineer for Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation (Convair) at a time the company was designing and building PBY Catalina and B-24 Liberator aircraft. He had left Convair by 1953.

Though unconfirmed, during interviews with both June Paulson and Robert Mosher, Ted may have worked with architect Lloyd Ruocco between his time at Convair and initiating his career with architect Clyde Hufbauer.

Ted designed the 2nd (and last) home for his family on a rural plot of land on Hidden Valley Road in La Jolla. Building the east wing of the house first and moving his family in right away, the family of five (wife June, two daughter Daira and Tamara, and son Birk) couldn’t wait for the rest of the house to be completed. The construction project was a family affair, with everyone pitching in as Ted built the entire structure with his own hands.

By 1953, Paulson was working as a Structural Engineer and Draftsman for Clyde Hufbauer known as a very direct, practical man, who was very successful working with school districts and state agencies. According to Robert Mosher, Ted was not excited about the prospects of running an architectural practice on his own, in part because he was impatient with people, so working for others offered more steady financial prospects for raising his family. Starting off as a draftsman, Paulson secured his architect’s license in 1957 and remained with Hufbauer through 1980.

Ted’s bicycle commute to Hufbauer’s downtown office, was later reduced when the firm moved to La Jolla Shores. Ted would also work for Stanley J. French of Boyle Engineering. French worked with Paulson to get him through his licensing process.

Ceramist Martha Longenecker introduced her friend Dr. Sidney L. Gulick and wife, Allied Craftsmen weaver Eve Gulick to Ted Paulson. Their desire for a small home in Mt. Helix allowing for Eve to have a workroom for her crafts overlooking the El Cajon valley resulted in the completion of the Gulick Residence (1959) on Sierra Vista (and Martha Longenecker's father, a local builder would construct the house). This introduction created a lifelong bond between the three families (Dirks, Gulicks and Paulsons) as they raised their children (Denny and Maryanne Gulick, Doug and David Dirks) and planned family outings together.

According to Robert Mosher, Ted’s homes are brilliantly structurally designed – more so than being finely detailed. Common elements of his designs are brick/concrete flooring, wood interiors (fir, redwood and mahogany) and plenty of glass through floor-to-ceiling glass and elaborate skylight systems. Following his retirement in the mid 1960s Ted continued to do occasional remodels and addition-work to area homes, but nothing as fine as the homes he designed for his family and close friends.

Ted was a devoted husband, father and friend to other area architects Fred Liebhardt, Robert Mosher, Roy Drew, Gene Weston, Vincent Bonini, artists Eve Gulick and John Dirks as well as writer Harry Crosby.

A budding design entrepreneur only after securing a steady income working in Hufbauer’s office, Ted shopped around a line of furniture he designed to Southern California manufacturers and distributors. Holding on to the original models for decades after his unsuccessful sales attempts, Ted continued to design and build furniture for his family and friends.

His hobbies included – building kites, hang gliding (which he learned at age 70), bicycle riding, ocean swimming, sailing, baking bread and making yogurt. Beyond his furniture designs, Ted continued to design - including a solar water still.

Partial List of San Diego Projects

Gulick, Dr. Sidney L. & Eve Residence (1959)
10301 Sierra Vista Avenue, La Mesa
Plans were finalized January 1959, at the time Paulson was working from his home address 2485 Hidden Valley Rd. La Jolla. The builder was Longnecker. Landscape design by Wimmer & Yamada.

Paulson, Ted & June Residence #1 (1940-42)
Potentially located at 4425 Topa Topa Drive, Mt. Helix

Paulson, Ted & June Residence #2 (1950-52)
2485 Hidden Valley Road, La Jolla

Luscomb, Rodney E. Residence (1951)
3327 State Street, San Diego
*Published in the San Diego Union on 2/17/52

Raitt, Russell Residence (1954)
2424 Ellentown, La Jolla
By Ted Paulson and Clyde Hufbauer

Wright Residence (1955)
8445 Avenida de Las Ondas, La Jolla
Drafted Albert & Dorrit Wright by Ted Paulson 'not a registered architect'