Stanley, William J. III

Impact on the world

Became the first African American graduate of the Georgia Tech School of Architecture in 1972, later co-founding Stanley, Love-Stanley, PC with his wife Ivenue Love-Stanley, already profiled in this collection, and earning election as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, one of the organization's highest honors, along with Fellowship in the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.

Life & background

Stanley became the first African American to graduate from the Georgia Tech School of Architecture in 1972, going on to gain professional experience with architect John Portman and the multi-discipline firm Parsons Brinckerhoff. He and his wife Ivenue Love-Stanley, drawing on an entrepreneurial spirit from both of their families, co-founded Stanley, Love-Stanley, PC in Atlanta, a firm whose work has included Atlanta's Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration design, the Lyke House Catholic Student Center referencing Ethiopia's rock-carved Church of Saint George, and the modernization of Cascade United Methodist Church. Both Stanleys were elevated to Fellowship in the American Institute of Architects and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, and Stanley chaired the AIA's 2015 Young Architects Awards jury; the couple now funds scholarships and mentorship for the next generation of African American architects at their alma mater.

Sources

1. New Georgia Encyclopedia; Georgia Institute of Technology (School of Architecture); CBS News Atlanta