Terry Tong was born in San Francisco on December 8, 1921. He attended the University of California at Berkeley (UCB) where he studied Architecture. Tong’s studies were interrupted by World War II during which he served as part of the United States National Guard in Algeria, Italy, and France. Wounded in battle, he was able to return to the United States and resume his studies at UCB in 1946, graduating with his degree in 1949. During summer vacations while in Architecture school, Tong worked for various Bay Area firms seeking practical experience, including Campbell & Wong and Phillip Tomesello.

Right out of school Tong was hired by Fred Whittlesey where he worked for less than a year before going to work for Campbell & Wong where he stayed for 13 years from 1949 until 1962. Tong became skilled at interior and exterior perspective drawings eventually being charged with the responsibility of doing the all of the presentation drawings for soliciting projects. While at Campbell & Wong, Tong continued his studies at the Henry George School of Economics on the politics of land usage; at the Rudolph Schaeffer School of Design for design color coordination fundamentals; and the UC Extension for environmental site designing and city planning in San Francisco. It was also during this time that Tong entered and won third place in the national Crane’s Bathroom Design Competition. In 1958, Tong became an Associate of the Campbell & Wong practice. After Tong’s and his associate Allen Fong’s submission and subsequent winning concept for the California Governor’s Mansion Competition for Governor Pat Brown (which was never realized), he left the firm and opened his own practice in 1962.

From 1962 to the mid-1970s, Tong operated STUDIO Tsq as a sole practitioner. His practice focused primarily on residences in the Bay Area but also included commercial and multi-residential projects. Notable projects include: On Lok Senior Center in San Francisco and the Cal Med Center in Stockton. Before retiring, Tong worked as a design consultant at the Bechtel Corporation in San Francisco. Terry Tong died in 2016.

Sources:

Terry Tong Autobiography, 2009 (unpublished).

Terry Tong, interview by Waverly Lowell and Emily Vigor, December 22, 2014.