Milo Baughman was a designer known for his chairs, sofas, and tables. Baughman believed in the positive benefits of furniture on people’s lives and often lectured on the topic. “Furniture that is too obviously designed is very interesting, but too often belongs only in museums,” he once said. Born on October 7, 1923 in Goodland, KS, his family moved from Kansas to Long Beach, CA, soon after he was born. Baughman went on to spend four years in the military during World War II. After the war, he went back to California and studied design at the Art Center School of Los Angeles and the Chouinard Art Institute. His first job out of school was for Frank Brothers, where he worked as a custom furniture designer. In 1947, Baughman left Frank Brothers and established Milo Baughman Design, Inc. Under this name, he designed for
Glenn of California and Pacific Iron, often using walnut, iron, and Formica. These materials and his unique taste marked a distinctive style of Californian Modern furniture. In 1953, he began working for
Thayer Coggin, and in 1965, he became an outspoken member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The designer died on July 23, 2003 in Salt Lake City, UT.