After studying at the Los Angeles School of Art and Design and at the L.A. He was tragically orphaned at the age of 4, losing both his parents to tuberculosis, and was sent to foster care until he was adopted. Paul Revere Williams was born on February 18, 1894, into a middle-class family in Memphis. Williams stands outside a Tudor mansion in Bel-Air that he redesigned in 1970. Nevertheless, his contributions to the architectural world and the Black community have cemented him as one of the most influential Americans of the 20th Century. But now, seeing men and women of their own color bettering their condition so phenomenally, they realize that they-or their children-can do as much.”ĭespite Williams’s efforts, only about 2% of all architects in the United States identify themselves as Black, according to a study published by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. “A few decades ago Negroes had no examples within their own race to spur them on. “The power of example is strong,” Williams penned in his 1937 essay for American Magazine, I Am a Negro. It’s because he served as a champion and voice for minorities during an era when racial discrimination was still rampant in America, paving the way for every other Black creative who followed in his footsteps. The first African American to become a certified architect west of the Mississippi, the pioneering draftsman had a hand in designing many of L.A.’s most iconic buildings, including parts of Los Angeles International Airport and the Beverly Hills Hotel-not to mention the homes of many Hollywood bigwigs-from Frank Sinatra and Carey Grant to Lucille Ball-which earned him the nickname of “architect to the stars.”īut what makes Williams so legendary? It’s not because by the end of his five-decade career he had designed more than 3,000 buildings, or that he designed the jaw-dropping abodes of countless celebrities. Williams Scholarship & Education Fund is a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives, a registered tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EIN# 94-3255070.If you’ve ever marveled at the glamorous mansions that line the posh streets of Los Angeles, you’ve likely admired the work of Paul Revere Williams. Please join us to volunteer or to receive program updates and other news. We will be updating Scholarship information in January 2024. Hudson, Executive Director of The Paul R. This effort is more than a tribute to my grandfather and other trailblazers in the field - it is a call to action,” said Karen E. As caretakers of our grandfather’s estate, we have always tried to make decisions that he would make. One hundred years after my grandfather became the first Black member of the AIA, he would be heartbroken by this fact. " I’m often asked, 'Why now?' Today, only 2% of licensed architects are Black. Williams completed a major renovation beginning in the late 1940s, including the iconic signage and design elements of enduring appeal. The inaugural fundraising gala for the Fund took place on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, in partnership with the landmark Beverly Hills Hotel, for which Mr. The Fund will also provide financial support and mentoring to students of color on their journey to professional licensing, with scholarships for fourth and fifth-year architecture students attending one of the seven Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) offering an accredited architecture program, as well as a program at the University of Southern California, Mr. Williams and other trailblazers in the field, the Fund will introduce K-12 students to career paths in architecture. To inspire future generations through the legacy of Mr. Williams Scholarship & Education Fund was created in 2023 to inspire, support, and celebrate young people pursuing careers in architecture.
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