ASID Historical Feature: Remembering Daisy Bond
You may know her name but not her history.
A native of Texas, Daisy Houston Bond pursued her design education at several institutions. She received a Bachelor of Applied Arts from the Feather & Feather School of Design in Houston, Texas, and later studied at the University of Arkansas, University of Denver and in Paris through an overseas program sponsored by the Parsons School of Design.
Ms. Bond collaborated on several design projects in the Houston area, but much of her time was spent on the staff of Joske’s of Houston, a regional furnishings concern. She was also active in her local AID (later becoming ASID) chapter.
In 1960, Ms. Bond moved to Huntsville, Alabama, where she initiated an independent design practice, concentrating principally on residential interiors. She also renewed her close association with design education. After moving to Tuscaloosa, she began working closely with design students at the University of Alabama, to increase their exposure to professional practice.
She called Alabama interior designers her “children.” As she attended many statewide events through the decades, she would watch and share her wisdom with her “children” and quietly pass small envelopes to current AL ASID leadership. Those envelopes held sweet notes and gifts of Southern Company Stock to the state chapter of ASID. At first, her gifts were not designated to particular ASID projects. However, once the Daisy Bond Competition was established, she was pleased with the Chapter’s restriction of the gift capital and approved of the interest being used annually. Thus, her gift was endowed in perpetuity. She continued to build the capital gift year after year, donating stock values in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. At her death, she bequeathed her substantial remaining shares of Southern Company Stock to the ASID AL Chapter.
Daisy Houston Bond was a designer with a career-long interest in design education. Her charter membership in the Benefactor’s Council of the ASID Educational Foundation was recognition of her personal and professional commitment to maintaining education as a priority. She has offered encouragement and financial assistance to the Alabama Chapter of ASID for the purposes of promoting excellence in interior design, both for education and legislation. Her monetary gifts to the Chapter have enabled Alabama ASID to attain the highest level of scholarships, NCIDQ matches, STEP Program matches, student awards and the protection of the profession through legislative efforts for many years.
Daisy Bond was nominated in 1999 and received the national ASID award of Honorary Fellowship. She was presented the award at a special luncheon in Tuscaloosa in 2000 by Juli Caitlin, ASID National President-elect.
We remember and salute Daisy Bond for her life-long accomplishments, and truly cherish her wit, wisdom, inspiration and generosity.
Daisy Bond and Suzanne Barnes, ASID, RID.
Shirley Hammond, FASID, RID, NCIDQ, H. Don Bowden, FASID, RID, NCIDQ, Phyllis Moore, FASID, RID, NCIDQ, and Juli Catlin, FASID, ASID National President-elect surround Daisy Bond upon presenting her with the ASID Honorary Fellowship.
Daisy Bond with her chaffeur of many years, George.