George Foster Shepley (architect)

George Foster Shepley (1860-1903) was an American architect primarily known for his work in partnership with Henry Hobson Richardson's successor firm, Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Shepley joined Richardson's office in Brookline, Massachusetts, in 1878. Following Richardson's death in 1886, Shepley, along with Charles Allerton Coolidge and John Rutan, formed Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge, inheriting Richardson's extensive ongoing commissions and design concepts.

The firm continued Richardson's Romanesque Revival style, but also adapted to changing architectural trends, eventually embracing Beaux-Arts classicism. Their significant projects include numerous buildings for Harvard University (including the Fogg Museum and the University Museum), the Art Institute of Chicago, the Ames Building in Boston, and South Station, also in Boston. Shepley played a crucial role in the firm's success, contributing to the design and management of these large-scale projects. While the firm produced work often stylistically associated with Richardson, Shepley's influence became more apparent over time, particularly in the later Beaux-Arts designs. He remained with the firm until his death in 1903.