Alexander (Aimwell) Cantin was born March 4, 1876, and died in 1964. He is possibly best known for designing a series of Pacific Telephone & Telegraph buildings in San Francisco and collaborated with the firm of Miller and Pflueger on the 26-story, Coast Division Building of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company at 140 New Montgomery Street. He designed the first permanent buildings on the campus of the College of Marin, including the Science Building (1927), Harian Hall (1929), the gymnasium (1931) and the first unit of the Engineering building. http://www.marin.cc.ca.us/lrc/photos/archive2.html. He is also known for the number of movie theatres he designed throughout the Bay Area beginning in the 1920s including the Orinda Theater and San Francisco’s Coronet Theater (now demolished) designed with his son. He was issued his architectural license in 1901, and was a member of the AIA, with over 48 years of active practice. Of lifelong interest to him was the design of decorative columns. He was awarded patents for several of his column designs.

(Alexander) Mackenzie Cantin, A.A.'s son, was born January 21, 1912. He graduated from UC Berkeley's School of Architecture in 1935 earning his architectural license in 1945. Following WWII he entered into practice with his father in 1948, creating the firm Cantin & Cantin and collaborating on a number of projects including theaters, schools, military housing and hospitals. Thereafter, A.M. Cantin, as Cantin & Associates he designed the Rheem and Moraga Centers, theaters, schools, banks, and other commercial structures throughout the Bay Area.