Philip Freelon is a prominent architect best known for his design of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History & Culture. Freelon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 26, 1952, to Allan R. Freelon, Jr. and Elizabeth N. Freelon. His grandfather was Allan R. … Read MorePhilip Goodwin Freelon (1952-2019)
James Homer Garrott was an African American modernist architect. He was pivotal in the creation of many historic buildings in the Los Angeles, California area, designing more than 200 buildings throughout the city, including municipal buildings, schools, medical buildings, and over 25 churches between 1928 and … Read MoreJames H. Garrott (1897-1991)
Image Ownership: Garage Museum of Contemporary Art Internationally acclaimed British-based architect David Adjaye was born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on September 22, 1966, the son Affram Adjaye, a diplomat from Ghana, and Cecilia Adjaye, also a Ghanaian national. Because of the nature of his … Read MoreDavid Frank Adjaye (1966- )
Norma Merrick Sklarek, a pioneer in the field of architecture, was the first registered black female architect in New York. In 1962 she became the first black female licensed architect in California. In 1990 she became the only black woman elected to the American Institute … Read MoreNorma Merrick Sklarek (1928-2012)
Robert Rochon Taylor was an architect and early housing activist in Chicago, Illinois, who became Chairman of the Chicago Housing Authority in 1942. He is the son of Robert Robinson Taylor, who was the first African American to graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology … Read MoreRobert Rochon Taylor (1899-1957)
J. Max Bond, Jr. was a prominent African American architect. He was born in 1935 into a prominent intellectual family from Louisville, Kentucky. His father, J. Max Bond, Sr., who held doctorate degrees in economics and sociology from the University of Southern California, was a … Read MoreJ. Max Bond, Jr. (1935-2009)
Harvey B. Gantt, architect and politician, was born January 14, 1943 in Charleston, South Carolina to Christopher and Wilhelmenia Gantt. In 1961, Gantt attended Iowa State University. After one year of study, he returned to South Carolina and soon afterwards sued to enter racially segregated … Read MoreHarvey Bernard Gantt (1943- )
Albert Irving Cassell, a prominent African American architect, planner, engineer, educator, and entrepreneur, was born on June 25, 1895, in Towson, Maryland. His parents were Albert and Charlotte Cassell. Albert’s father was a coal truck driver and trumpet player and his mother washed laundry to … Read MoreAlbert I. Cassell (1895-1969)
Vertner Woodson Tandy, one of seven founders of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, was born on May 17, 1885, in Lexington, Kentucky to Henry A. Tandy, a successful entrepreneur and building contractor, and Emma Brice Tandy. Young Tandy was educated at the Candler School in … Read MoreVertner Woodson Tandy (1885-1949)
Benjamin F. McAdoo was born in Pasadena, California in 1920. He established the first African American-owned architecture firm in Seattle and was the first black man to practice architecture in Washington State. He was a local community leader and advocate for the advancement of low-income … Read MoreBenjamin McAdoo (1920-1981)
