From LAX to the Beverly Hills Hotel to the Shrine Auditorium, USC Architecture alumnus Paul Revere Williams played a part in some of Los Angeles’ most iconic buildings. He designed more than 2,000 private homes, including ones for Golden Age stars Frank Sinatra and Cary Grant, plus I Love Lucy’s Lucille Ball.
But behind the facade of glitz and glamour, Williams faced countless obstacles as a Black man in segregated America.
Many of the homes he designed were built in neighborhoods with segregated covenants that made it illegal for Black people to live there, and he would tour buildings with his hands behind his back to avoid someone refusing to shake hands with him.
Noelle Osborne is a junior studying architecture at USC. She shares what Paul Revere Williams’ impact means to her as an aspiring Black architect.
NOELLE OSBORNE: Currently, there are less than 2 percent Black architects in America, and even smaller than that, there’s less than1 percent of woman architects in America. He was the first African American to be introduced into the Architecture Institute. So, his work really has driven me to just kind of keep pushing and being a part of the space, because it’s not being taken up by Black people. His message of how he can create an impact in the space is, is very important, because it’s so shocking to this day, that there’s still just not enough representation.
Osborne is not the only USC student who has been inspired by Williams.
Asia Gaines is a sophomore also studying architecture, and she additionally explained what Williams’ role in the architecture field means to her.
ASIA GAINES: How I think about architecture, my career, I definitely, know and appreciate his contribution to the field is. It makes my integration into the field a lot better. I also identify as African American, and him being a minority, and being a trailblazer in the industry that’s predominantly been occupied by cis white men is, yeah, like, I understand and appreciate what he’s done.
Williams’ ability to power past these challenges earned him a spot in history - he was the first Black American to be admitted to the American Institute of Architects, its first African American fellow, and ultimately its first Black American Gold Medalist, which was awarded to him 37 years after his death.
Osborne described how she is inspired by Williams’ dedication to his work, specifically when he learned to draw his designs upside down because clients would refuse to sit next to him in meetings.
OSBORNE: One cool thing about him, he used to draw backwards for his clients. He would draw so that they would be able to see it, but he wasn’t fully seeing the picture. So, he was doing it in the reverse way to make his clients feel comfortable. And I think myself, I have before in the past, tried to make other people feel good in their space. But now I’m having my own voice. I’m having my own drive. I’m doing what I think is best, that I know is best for myself. Because at the end of the day, I will always have to work a little bit harder than everybody else to just get my foot in the door. So, him opening up that area has been amazing.
Williams’ legacy has had a lasting impact on not only Los Angeles but the world. This October, Williams and his legacy were honored at the Beverly Hills Hotel with the official launch of the Paul R. Williams Scholarship & Education Fund.
For Annenberg Media, I’m Pickle Coleman.