​​Ralph Earl Panhorst was a prominent Portland architect known for his practical and distinctive mid-century modern designs. Most of Panhorst’s work was residential, though he also designed apartment buildings and some commercial buildings including medical clinics, a car dealership on Sandy Boulevard and a school. He specialized in southeast and southwest Portland residential properties, working with all of the major builders of the day.

Ralph Panhorst, from The Oregonian, October 26, 1936

Panhorst was born in 1908 and grew up in Northeast Portland, son of a builder, and graduated from Benson High School in 1927. He attended the University of Oregon and opened his own architectural practice at age 26 in 1934. He was a member of the American Institute of Architects and served multiple terms on the Portland Housing Code Board of Appeals and other building code regulatory committees. He retired from his architectural practice in 1986 after 52 years, and died in Vancouver, Washington on April 18, 1996 at age 87.

Ralph Panhorst design, from the 1947 Pacific Northwest Book of Homes.