Early life and work Steen was born the son of
James Steen (died 1923), a notable Pittsburgh-based architect. Along with his brother, James H. Steen, he joined his father in the family architectural firm, James T. Steen & Sons, while still in his teens. He graduated in 1908 from
Carnegie Tech. He served as Staff Architect and Superintendent of Buildings for Pittsburgh's School Board during the 1930s, and designed and supervised the building of 23 schools and additions. His NRHP-listed works include
Allegheny High School (1904),
Letsche Elementary School (1905),
Washington Vocational School (1908),
Knoxville Junior High School (1927),
Prospect Junior High and Elementary School (1931),
Arsenal Junior High School (1931),
Conroy Junior High School,
Lemington Elementary School (1937) and
Schiller Elementary School (1939). ==References==