Early Life
He was born Barnaby Gonzales in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1924. As a child, Gonzales worked at his uncle's adobe brick factory, which produced building materials for the famed Arizona Biltmore Hotel. He first saw architect Frank Lloyd Wright at the hotel when he was just 8 years old. The brief sighting of Wright made an impression on the young Gonzales, who decided to pursue a career in architecture.
Gonzales attended Phoenix Union High School. He enlisted in the United States Coast Guard during World War II. It was during his time in the Coast Guard that he earned the nickname "Bennie" when a military recruiter decided to call him that instead of his given name, Barnaby.
He returned to Arizona following the end of World War II and took a position as a Phoenix firefighter. Gonzales enrolled at Arizona State University's fledgling architecture degree program, eventually becoming one of the program's first two graduates. His one architecture classmate was Frank Henry, who now teaches at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture.
Gonzales also studied at the University of Mexico, where he took a particular interest in Mayan design and motifs.
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