Robert O. Derrick was born July 28, 1890, in Buffalo, N.Y. He is best known as being the architect for Henry Ford's Greenfield Village, but also designed a number of notable Detroit buildings, including what is now known as the Theodore J. Levin U.S. Courthouse and the Hannan Memorial YMCA.

Derrick died at age 71 on Sept. 26, 1961, at Jennings Memorial Hospital. He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery.