George Edward Kessler, a landscape architect of notable ability, was born in Frankenhausen, Germany, July 16, 1862, his parents being Edward Carl and Clotilde Kessler. He came to America with his parents in 1865 and received his education in the public schools and under private tutoring. He also had special instruction in civil engineering, forestry and botany in Europe, and his excellent advantages in these directions well qualifled him for the attainment of professional success. In 1882 he entered upon the practice of his profession as a landscape architect at Kansas City and in 1900 he became a member of the firm of George E. Kessler & Company. In 1892 he was made the landscape architect of the park department of Kansas City and he became the landscape and advisory landscape architect to the commission of architects in connection with the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of St. Louis. After the fair was closed he was made a director of the restoration of the exposition site and became designer of park systems and improvements for St. Louis, Memphis, Cincinnati, Denver, Dallas, Syracuse and many other cities. The extent, nature and scope of his professional activities firmly established his position as one of the foremost landscape architects of the country. He has planned the ground improvement for various universities and cemeteries and was made a member of the city plan commission of Kansas City.
On the 14th of May, 1900, Mr. Kessler was married to Miss Ids Grant Field, of Kansas City. He is identified with various important public interests and with many of the leading clubs and social organizations not only of Missouri, but of other sections of the country. He belongs to the Academy of Science of Kansas City, to the Civic League of St. Louis, the American Civic Association, to the Commercial and Evanston Golf Clubs of Kansas City, to the Mercantile and City Clubs of St. Louis, to the Business Men’s and Queen City Clubs of Cincinnati and to the Tennessee Club of Memphis. He maintains offices in both Kansas City and in St. Louis and his practice is of a most extensive and important character, so that his name is known professionally throughout the country but especially in the cities of the great Mississippi valley.