Frederick William Becker was born in Vermillion, SD on March 24, 1888. He studied with Hugh Breckenridge and Daniel Garber at The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, at the School of Art & Design, the Art Students League in Los Angeles, and the Macky School in San Francisco.

He lived in New York City, Oklahoma City, Taos, and southern California in Palm Springs and Cathedral City. An itinerant artist, Becker traveled widely, and was active in California from the 1920s until his death in Cathedral City on April 12, 1974.

Member:
Laguna Beach Art Association; Society of Texas Artists; Oklahoma Art League; Southern States Art League; Desert Art Center.

Exhibitions:
San Francisco Art Association, 1914
Kansas City Art Institute, 1917 (bronze medal), 1932 (gold medal)
University of Oklahoma, 1918 (medal)
Art Studio Shop (Hollywood), 1934
Tuesday Afternoon Club (Glendale), 1953
Desert Art Center (Palm Springs), 1965
Laguna Beach Museum, 1980 (solo).

Collection:
University of Oklahoma

An itinerant artist, specializing in landscapes and murals, Frederick Becker was born in Vermillion, South Dakota, and lived in New York City, Oklahoma City, Texas, Taos, New Mexico, and California in Cathedral City and Palm Springs.

He studied at the Los Angeles School of Art and Design, the Mackey School of Art, the Art Students League of Los Angeles, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Special teachers were Daniel Garber, Joseph Pearson, Hugh Breckenridge, Robert Reid, Cecilia Beaux, Philip Hale, Perham Nahl, and Emil Carlsen.

He was head of the fine Arts Department of the University of Oklahoma City and also taught summer art classes there and at the University of New Mexico. While living in San Antonio, Texas, he was the First President of the Society of Texas Artists with headquarters in Austin. One of the early Taos artists, he lived with the Kit Carson family for many seasons.

Source: TREASURY OF LIVING ART, Desert Art Center, Palm Springs, CA. 1970.