Robert Eddy was one of the most prominent midcentury architects in Bakersfield, and many of the public buildings in the metro area were designed by him and his later partner, William Paynter. Eddy attended Bakersfield High School in 1933 and earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Southern California in 1940 (AIA Membership File for Robert Eddy). After college, Eddy served in the Navy Air Corps until 1946.
In the 1990s, Eddy was nominated for a fellowship in the American Institute of Architects, principally on his work on the creation of the State of California building code as the head of the California Building Standards Commission (AIA Membership File for Robert Eddy). In particular, his work was revolutionary in implementing earthquake standards statewide for unreinforced masonry buildings that required mediation (AIA Membership File for Robert Eddy).