Donald Royse, a professor emeritus of architecture in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, died Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, surrounded by family at his home (which he designed) overlooking Lake Washington in Seattle. He was 93.
Royse taught architecture and urban design at WashU for nearly 30 years. He also served, from 1990-93, as the first director of urban design for St. Louis. In that capacity, he oversaw design and construction of the St. Louis Convention Center, the Dome at America’s Center, the MetroLink light-rail system, and the refurbishing of Kiel Center, among other projects.
A native of LaPlata, Mo., Royse spent two years in the U.S. Army before earning a bachelor’s degree in architecture degree in 1961 from the University of California, Berkeley.
After traveling and working in Europe, Royse earned a doctorate in urban design from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1968. That same year, he joined the WashU faculty, serving as chair of the Master of Architecture and Urban Design program and directing the Urban Research and Design Center. He was named a professor of architecture in 1976.
From 1975-79, Royse was chair of the St. Louis Landmarks and Urban Design Commission. “Every city has unique qualities and characteristics,” he later told the West End Word. “You should build on the inherent qualities, not tear them down.”
Royse published on topics ranging from the physical environment to indigenous Midwestern architecture. Honors included a National Endowment for the Arts grant; a U.S. Office of Education travel seminar; and an invitation from the German government to study postwar urban development.
Royse served as a principal in several small practices, including SRT Architects & Planners and Royse/Moezzi/Mazetis. In 1989, he co-founded Royse-Eagleton Architects with 1986 WashU alumnus Heidy Eagleton. After being named a professor emeritus, in 1997, he moved to Seattle, where he served on and was chair of the Seattle Design Commission.
Royse is survived by daughters Alyssa and Bronwyn; by sons-in-law Brady and Justin; and by grandchildren Celia, Zoe, James and Sarah. Memorial contributions are suggested to Human Rights Watch or to St. Louis’ Forest Park. To leave a remembrance, visit the legacy.com website.