Williams, Paul Revere

Impact on the world

Became the first Black architect licensed in California, the first Black member of the American Institute of Architects in 1923, its first Black fellow in 1957, and posthumously the first Black recipient of the AIA's Gold Medal in 2017, designing landmark buildings including the LAX Theme Building and homes for major celebrities.

Life & background

Orphaned at age four, Williams overcame discouragement from a teacher who doubted a Black architect could find clients, going on to design thousands of buildings over his career. He famously learned to draft upside-down so he could sit across the table from clients uncomfortable sitting beside a Black man. He designed homes for Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, and Desi Arnaz, along with landmarks including the LAX Theme Building and the Beverly Hills Hotel renovation; in 2020 his largely-presumed-lost archive of drawings and records was revealed to have survived and was acquired by the Getty Institute and USC.

Sources

1. JSTOR Daily (Paul Revere Williams: An Architect of Firsts); National Trust for Historic Preservation; Floyd Home