Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Frank Pick

Frank Pick
This nomination predates the introduction in April 2014 of article-specific subpages for nominations and has been created from the edit history of Today's featured article/requests. 
 * This is the archived discussion of the TFAR nomination for the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page. 

The result was: scheduled for Today's featured article/July 1, 2013 by BencherliteTalk 12:35, 14 June 2013‎ (UTC)



Frank Pick (1878–1941) was a British transport administrator. In 1906, he joined the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL) where he rose through the corporate ranks, becoming managing director in 1928. On 1 July 1933, he became chief executive officer and vice-chairman of the London Passenger Transport Board when it was formed to take charge of the most transport operations in and around London. Pick had a strong interest in public design, steering the development of the London Underground's corporate identity by commissioning commercial art, modern architecture and graphic design, including the first version of the Underground's roundel (pictured). Under his direction, London's Underground network and associated bus services expanded considerably, reaching out into new areas and stimulating the growth of London's suburbs. His impact on the growth of London between the world wars led to him being likened to Baron Haussmann and Robert Moses. Pick wrote and lectured extensively on sociological issues and on the place of art and design in society, for which he was compared to Gaius Maecenas and Thomas Aquinas.

As the blurb says Frank Pick's direction of the UERL and the LPTB during the inter-war years had a major impact on the growth of London through the development of the new suburbs that his lines stimulated. He was a complicated person and, from his contemporaries' descriptions of his personality, probably not particularly easy to get on with. 1 July is the 80th anniversary of the LPTB being set-up. I believe that this rates 2 points for the anniversary and 2 for there having been nothing similar for six months for a total of 4.--DavidCane (talk) 00:45, 14 June 2013 (UTC)