John Vassos was the President of the guild for 10 terms, in 1936, 1940, 1941, 1949-1955 and raised significant funds for the center using his considerable influence with RCA, where he worked as
a consultant designer for almost four decades.
He was highly regarded as
an artist, industrial designer, illustrator, inventor, interior designer, architect and social commentator. John was a pioneer in the field of Industrial Design along with Norman Bel Geddes, Raymond Lowey and Eliot Noyes among others.