David Childs, born David Magie Childs on April 1, 1941, in Princeton, New Jersey, was an American architect known for his contributions to contemporary architecture. He graduated from Deerfield Academy in 1959 and Yale University in 1963, initially majoring in zoology before shifting to architecture at the Yale School of Architecture, earning his master's degree in 1967. Childs joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in 1971, working on significant projects including One World Trade Center, which became the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere upon its completion in 2014. He served as chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission from 1975 to 1981 and was appointed to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts in 2002, serving as chairman from 2003 to 2005. Childs passed away on March 26, 2025, at the age of 83.
