Paul Revere Williams
Through Time
The Timeline illustrates how material history, society and the work of one person, Paul R. Williams, integrate and interact. Small changes in society, architecture or life may seem inconsequential, but when connected a powerful picture emerges. The Timeline illustrates how many forces shape our modern life. Williams’ life did not form in isolation but was a product of complex energies in society, his profession and within himself.
Timeline
Choose a Time Period
1950s
Decade at a Glance
The population grew to 151,684,000 people. Over 3-million people were still unemployed. With improved nutrition, medical discoveries and better-managed public health, life expectancy increased for all segments of the population.
The average American annual wage was $2,992 and men out-number women in the labor force 5/2.
Over 6 million cars were sold.
National television began in 1951 when a speech by President Harry Truman was broadcast. Soviet Nikita Khrushchev and Vice President Nixon debatedon television in this photo.
The Supreme Court rules segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama. The Civil Rights Movement began .
Jonas Salk discovered a vaccine for polio and immunization programs save children and adults from diseases once considered common.
Domestic passenger jet service began and the first U.S. satellite orbited the earth.
Alaska and Hawaii became states in the Union.
The Patio Home on Display at Los Altos Park
Los Angeles Times, February 26, 1950
“Featuring one of the tallest planting boxes on record, The Patio home, designed by Architect Paul R. Williams, is now on display in Los Altos Park … the planting box, in front of the residence, reaches just below the boxed eaves. The interior of the box forms the wardrobe for the front bedroom.”
S. R. Crown Hall, Chicago, Illinois
The Illinois Institute of Technology waslocated near the South Side of Chicago. With a “master-planned” campus designed specifically for an urban setting, the university was known for its outstanding architecture. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was director of the architecture program from 1938-1958 and designed 19 of the 55 campus buildings. S.R. Crown Hall (1950) was considered an icon of his philosophy of a universal building type later called Miesian-style. It was a significant design departure from his earlier campus designs. Crown Hall, an example of the 20th century Modernist movement, emphasized the synthesis of technology, materials, detailing and design.
Mies van der Rohe designed Crown Hall as a two-level, rectangular structure with industrial simplicity. The building’s sole ornamentation was the exposed, black-painted steel frame filled with large sheets of glass of varying transparency. On the top level, the architect created an open, unobstructed, flexible work space that encouraged collaboration and cooperation between students and faculty. Mies van der Rohe described this pavilion-like design as a universal space. The lower level contained rooms for building services/operations, bathrooms, administrative offices, wood and model shops and smaller lecture rooms.
One of the most important architects of the 20th century, Mies van der Rohe considered S.R. Crown Hall an “exceptional” precedent for the buildings he would design. He wrote that this Hall is “the clearest structure we have done, the best to express our philosophy.” The building was added to the Park Services’ National Register of Historic Places.
Paul Williams Designs Ultra Modern Home Furnishing Store
The March 1951 issue of Architect and Engineer described Paul Williams’ design for the new Beverly Hills branch of the W. J. Sloane store. The magazine described the five-story building on Wilshire Blvd as having “many merchandising and display facilities that are unique in the home furnishing field.” (This photograph is a typical staged Sloane room decorated with m erchandise from the store.) His design work for this store started in 1948 and was completed in 1951. It included window displays that could be positioned into place by elevators, underground parking for 150 cars and a model home built within the store “that will feature the latest in correlated groupings of all types of furnishings.”
The store was built by Del E. Webb Construction Company and was an example of their collaborative work with Paul R. Williams.
Honored in Community
Williams, along with two others, was honored at a banquet sponsored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews. He was recognized for his efforts to promote brotherhood in the Los Angeles community. “Williams, an internationally known architect, is a member of the board of directors of 14 organizations and corporations and is known for his interests in the YMCA and the Boy Scouts of America.” (Los Angeles Times, December 12, 1951)
Paul Williams To Help Design Courthouse
Jet, November 22, 1951
“Internationally famous architect Paul Williams has been selected among four architects to design a new Los Angeles courthouse. They will split a fee of 6-1/2 per cent of the total cost.”
Jolson Monument Approved By Court
Los Angeles Times, February 8, 1951
Memorial First Proposed by Singer’s Widow Will Take $84,000 from Funds of Estate
“The monument designed by Paul R. Williams, Los Angeles architect, will cost $75,000 … ‘I wouldn’t like to see this order become a precedent,’ said the judge in approving the petition. ‘But in this case involving a man so well known as Mr. Jolson I believe the expenditure is justified.’”
Moves to Lafayette Square
Williams designed and built a home for his family in the upper-middle-class Lafayette Square neighborhood of Los Angeles. Lafayette Square was home to many influential people in Los Angeles and by midcentury opened up to affluent African American professionals. Williams lived in this home until his death in 1980. This house was designated a historic and cultural landmark in Los Angeles County.
1951
1952
Awarded Honorary Degree from Howard University
Williams’ relationship with Howard University began in 1931 when he was invited to participate in a campus exhibition highlighting the work of licensed, practicing African American architects. In 1952, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Architecture for his professional stature and service to the University.
Williams served as a Trustee of Howard University from 1957 through 1966.
Delegations for President Listed
Los Angeles Times, June 1, 1952
“The following are the names of the delegates supporting the several Presidential candidates on the Republican and Democratic ballots: REPUBLICAN PARTY Candidates Preferring Earl Warren…Paul R. Williams, Los Angeles…”
Community Leaders Back School Bond Vote
In this Herald Examiner photograph, Williams joined the fight for a “yes” vote at the polls on school bonds. He was standing with Claude L. Reeves who would become superintendent of the Los Angeles public schools.
Memorial to “Unknown Sailor”
Jet, September 1952
“The famous Negro architect, Paul R. Williams, will design a Pearl Harbor memorial in honor of dead naval heroes…the memorial to be known as the Grave of the Unknown Sailor. A campaign to raise funds for the monument’s construction is sponsored by the Disabled American Veterans.”
Why “Passing” Is Passing Out
In November 1951 Jet, a pocketsize weekly magazine for African Americans, reached newsstands. Unlike other mass-market publications this magazine focused on the interests of Black Americans— politics, education, entertainment, sports and religion. Jet also covered controversial topics rarely discussed in other publications.
In one of Jet’s earliest issues (July 17, 1952) the subject of racial passing was discussed—crossing the color line into the white race often for “economic security.” The article described the emotional anguish often felt by many who pass. One woman described her frustration, “I’m through with passing…through with all the hiding, all the dodging, and all the miserable lies that turned my life into a confused, frustrated existence.”
Though many choose to pass, Paul Williams was cited as an example of a racial champion who might have “passed” but “remained a Negro and pursued a profession which supposedly held no future for a Negro.”
At the conclusion of the article, Jet predicted that as African Americans progress and succeed on their own terms in American society, “Most economically-sound Negroes who could ‘pass’ prefer being high-class Negroes to low-class whites.”
The classic 1934 movie “Imitation of Life” (image) was the story of a young woman who rejected her African American mother and sought a new life by passing for white. This movie, based on a 1933 novel by Fannie Hurst, has been remade a number of times. In 2005 the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
United Nations Headquarters, Manhattan, New York
The headquarters of the United Nations (UN) conisted of four main buildings on the eastern shore of Manhattan. These 18-acres were considered international territory. The building complex includes the Secretariat, the General Assembly, Conference Area and the Library.
Designing the UN was a collaborative effort by some of the greatest world architects of the mid-20th century. Wallace K. Harrison, United States, was appointed Director of Planning and his 10-member design board included Nikolai G. Bassov (Soviet Union), Ernest Cormier (Canada), Oscar Niemayer (Brazil) and Le Corbusier (France). Beginning in 1947, the board evaluated over 50 basic designs. The final design combined the ideas of Niemayer and Le Corbusier. Sited on a park-like plateau, the UN was completed in 1952. The buildings were constructed of glass, stone, natural materials and metal. In keeping with the international character of the UN, the interior finishes and furnishings were selected from around the world.
1953
1954
Los Angeles Times, July 7, 1954
“Funeral services for Mrs. Emily Clarkson Burnett, 90, stepmother of Paul R. Williams, internationally known architect, will be conducted at 11:30 a.m. today in the Angelus Funeral Home … besides her adopted son she leaves two granddaughters … She was born in Waterloo, Iowa. She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star.”
Reported in the July 29, 1954 issue of the popular magazine Jet: “Mrs. Emily Burnett, 90, foster mother of famed architect Paul R. Williams, dies of diseases incident to old age, in Rancho Los Amigos Sanitarium, Los Angeles.”
Warren Breaks Ground for New Courthouse
Los Angeles Times, March 27, 1954
“Scores of civic, governmental and church leaders, together with hundreds of citizens yesterday watched Chief Justice Warren turn the first shovelful of earth as the county’s long awaited Courthouse begins to take shape … Associated architects who designed the building are J. E. Stanton, Paul R. Williams, Adrian Wilson and Austin, Field & Fry.”
This photograph from Herald Examiner Collection at University Southern California shows the iconic front entrance of this building.
‘Bright Road’ Producer Gets Carver Merit Plaque
Jet, March 4, 1954
“The George Washington Carver Institute’s first merit plaque was presented to Sol Baer Fielding, producer of the film Bright Road, for his contribution to better race relations. Architect Paul Williams and the institute’s honorary national chairman, Paul Helms, made the presentation in Washington, D.C.”
The film, with a predominately African American cast, featured Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte. Belafonte was pictured in this 1954 Carl Van Vechten portrait at the Library of Congress.
State sponsored segregation unconstitutional
On May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court ruled on Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Any state laws that establish separate public schools for black and white students were now unconstitutional. With this decision racial segregation was now considered a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.
Following this Federal ruling, the NAACP began to register African American students in historically segregated public schools across the South. In this 1957 photograph, nine students are escorted into the all-white Central High School in Little Rock High School. President Eisenhower sent federal troops to enforce integration and protect the students.
Hospital projects
Before the development of a vaccine, polio epidemics were frequent in the United States. In 1955, the Communicable Diseases (CD) Building for the Los Angeles County General Hospital system opened with facilities for 256 patients and 500 to 600 doctors, nurses and other specialists. This facility specialized in the treatment of polio. Adrian Wilson and Paul R. Williams were the architects for the CD Building and a related Respiratory Center at Rancho Los Amigos. Both buildings were dedicated at the same time.
Williams designed many hospitals throughout his career in joint ventures with other architects and solo: Los Angeles General Hospital, a complex of five buildings, 1947-1959 Westview Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, 1947 Tubercular Hospital, Ecuador, 1948 Rancho Los Amigos Respiratory Center, Downey, CA, 1953 (image) San Gabriel Hospital, Victorville, CA, 1958 Harbor General Hospital, Sacramento, CA, 1959 St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Memphis, TN, 1962 Good Samaritan Hospital (garage) of Santa Clara, 1967
Hollywood Knickerbocker Hotel Renovation
A sketch of Williams’ renovation for the Knickerbocker was featured in the Los Angeles Times (March 14, 1954). The newspaper described the new front and forecourt in the sketch as a “strikingly attractive design.”
Awarded Spingarn Medal
The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) annually awarded the gold Spingarn Medal to the African American who preformed at the highest and noblest level the previous year or years. Named in the memory of NAACP Chairman J.E. Spingarn (image), this award called attention to outstanding, high-achieving African Americans and rewarded their achievements.
In 1953 Paul R. Williams was selected as the 38th recipient of the Spingarn Medal. The official citation reads: “Endowed with creative talent and possessed of a will to achieve success in our competitive system, Paul R. Williams overcame early handicaps of poverty and racial discrimination to win national honor as one of America’s outstanding architects.”
Accepting the medal, Williams urged African Americans to become active, progressive citizens by becoming homeowners. In his speech, the architect articulated his personal philosophy of achievement. Through home-ownership, African Americans can improve their “standard of citizenship” and become active participants in American progress and “not apart from it.”
Mr. and Mrs. Paul R. Williams Assist Ralph Edwards on “This Is Your Life”
“This Is Your Life” was an early version of today’s reality television. Emcee Ralph Edwards greeted an unsuspecting celebrity or outstanding citizen at the NBC Television Studios, retelling the story of their life to a curious American audience in under 30 minutes. The program was famous for emotion and tears as it depicted the “famous” as real people.
In 1953, Edwards suprised Mrs. Jesse L. Vann, newspaper publisher, with the story of her life. Mrs. Vann was one of the few African Americans featured on this TV show. Her friends Della and Paul Williams provided the pretext to bring her to the studio for the tribute.
Paul Williams Named L.A. City Commissioner
Jet, September 10, 1953
“The 1953 winner of the NAACP’s coveted Spingarn Metal was assigned to the Municipal Art Commission … for a three-year term.”
Williams served on the Commission from 1953 to 1965. He was seen in this Herald Examiner photograph from the Los Angeles Public Library with the actor Anthony Quinn. They were attending the van Gogh exhibit at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery in Barnsdall Park, where they posed with one of those painter’s works.
President Picks L.A. Architect
Los Angeles Times, September 13, 1953
“Paul R. Williams, 55, appointed to the new Housing Advisory Commission by President Eisenhower, is a Los Angeles architect who has won international recognition for his work … Williams, who lives at 1690 Victoria Ave., last June received the Spingarn Medal, awarded annually to an American Negro for distinguished achievement by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.”
Forum Discusses Industry and Art
New York Times, October 20, 1953 Speakers for Herald Tribune Debate Effects of Machine Age on Cultural Values
“Speakers at yesterday’s session, the second this year, included Henry Dreyfuss, industrial designer; Paul R. Williams, architect; Arthur A. Houghton Jr., president of Steuben Glass, Inc.; Charles E. Odegaard, dean of the College of Literature, Science and Arts at the University of Michigan; and Francis Henry Taylor, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.”
Our New Domestic Architecture
On October 19, 1953, Williams was a presenter at the influential New York Herald Tribune Annual Forum. He addressed“what the architect is doing to make the home a better and more comfortable place for man’s head and heart.” Williams believed that the public’s desire for “extreme and exotic design” was changing, replaced by a “sane American Modern.”
As an architect who designed both large and small houses, Williams described new building methods that reduced construction time including “factory-assembled kitchens and storage walls … We are arriving at ‘less house and more convenience.’”
Williams saw the spread of California’s casual lifestyle to all Americans, predicting the California ranch house — one-story, spread-out plan with more glass and sunlight — would replace the “dark and gloomy” houses of the past.
“All of our habits are undergoing some kind of change: for instance, you seldom see a dinner for ten or twelve set up around the dining-room table, but you see a buffet style of gathering where the food is left in large pots with the announcement to ‘come and get it.’”
In summary he said: “The basic concept is to make the home friendly and easy to live in … It will not be the International Style. It will be a true expression of our standard of living. It will be the American style.”
From New Patterns for Mid-Century Living: Report of the 22nd Annual Forum of the New York Herald Tribune, 1953.
Danny Thomas Hospital Dream Nearing Reality
Los Angeles Times, February 26, 1955
Memphis Group Backs Campaign for St. Jude Underprivileged Children
“The lifelong dream of Comedian Danny Thomas, a hospital for underprivileged children, yesterday began to take the shape of reality … The comedian revealed that a national fund-raising campaign will get underway in April with a premiere of a film yet unnamed in Memphis … St. Jude Foundation board members include … Paul R. Williams, architect … The comedian said ‘divine guidance’ was apparent in the selection of preliminary drawings of the hospital. He said that Williams submitted several plans but named one he liked the best … the shape of the hospital was that of the St. Jude medallion.”
Williams donated his services as an architect and provicded renderings for fundraising. He later desinged the final building completed in 1962.
Lilien Residence
Architectural Digest, 1955
A Maynard Parker photograph of a detail in Mr. & Mrs. Aaron Lilien’s dining room, Brentwood, CA, was featured in the magazine. Williams wored with interior decorator Harriet Schellenberger on the Lilien house. (Huntington Library, San Marino CA)
Rosa Parks refuses to give up seat on bus
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white male passenger on a Montogomery, Alabama bus and was arrested for this act of civil disobedience. After her arrest, a boycott of the city bus line started and lasted for 381 days. Martin Luther King, Jr. was appointed spokesperson for the boycott. Protests spread across the South demanding racial equality. Because of this defiant act, Parks was recognized as “mother of the modern civil rights movement” in America.
1955 photograph of Rosa Parks with Martin Luther King in the background. National Archives and Records Administration Records of the U.S. Information Agency Record Group 306.
Wins award for service
Wisdom Magazine selected important Americans to receive an award for “contributions to knowledge and distinguished service to mankind.” On the cover of its first issue in 1956 the magazine featured Albert Einstein. Williams was among the distinguished recipients of the magazine’s first award.
Other honorees that evening included: Bernard Baruch, advisor to Presidents and international financier; Eddie Cantor, comedian; Dr. Will Durant, historian and intellectual; Conrad Hilton, hotelier; Richard Neutra, architect; Pearl S. Buck, Nobel prize winning novelist; Maxwell Anderson, playwright; Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, Broadway team.
Winston Churchill and Bernard Baruch pictured here were also featured on the cover of Wisdom Magazine.
Tuskegee Institute Confers Honorary Degree
In celebration of the Diamond Jubilee Celebration at Tuskegee Institute, Williams was honored with an honorary degree Doctor of Fine Arts. In a 1957 letter from the Institute President, L. H. Foster, Williams was described as “…one of the persons in America who is doing outstanding work and who is measuring up fully to the highest traditions of their professions.”
Golden Crown to Be Placed on City Hall
Los Angeles Times, March 6, 1956
“The City Hall will have a golden crown emblematic of Los Angeles’ standing as a monarch among cities because of its rank, power, and attractions, the Municipal Arts Commission decided yesterday.
The 32-foot pyramid atop the 454-foot building will be cover with aluminum sheets to waterproof the tower. At the suggestion of its president, Paul R. Williams, the commission said this facing should be painted gold.”
Photographer Brion Vibber.
Elvis an international sensation
On September 9, 1956, entertainer Elvis Presley appeared for the first time on Ed Sullivan’s television show. Early in his career Elvis became an international sensation. His unique music combined a variety of styles: white country and gospel, black R&B and gospel, and white pop. Elvis’ fans came from every social class and age group. His music changed the face of American popular culture for decades and influenced many famous musicians.
Elvis Presley got his break into the music business at Sun Studio (Memphis Recording Services in 1954) owned by Sam Phillips. Reputedly the first rock-and-roll single, Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats’ Rocket 88, was recorded here in 1951.
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
Elected to College of Fellows American Institute of Architects
Negro Architect Builds Sinatra Home
Ebony, January 1957 Paul Williams Designs Showplace for Singer
“When singer Frank Sinatra unveiled his new Hollywood home on Person to Person, millions of televiewers oohed and aahed. Overnight, the house became the talk of the country, establishing architect Paul R. Williams as the master of the small house field. … ‘Being a bachelor,’ Sinatra told him, ‘I don’t want a large house. Just something small and livable.’”
1960 photograph of Frank Sinatra with former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, National Archives.
Negro Leaders Form $30 Million Insurance Firm
Jet, December 12, 1957
“A $30 million life insurance firm to be operated on a nationwide basis and place special emphasis on better housing for Negroes, was formed by Negro leaders in Denver, Colo. Temporarily named National Equality Life, the new organization will be largely owned and operated by Negroes. The directors are architect Paul Williams of Los Angeles…”
Seagram Building, New York
In a 1958 review, the magazine Architectural Forum called the newly opened Park Avenue headquarters for the Seagram Liquor Company “a half-million square foot laboratory in which new and special office designs are tested in actual use.” The building embodied architect Mies van der Rohe’s philosophy that “structure is spiritual” and “less is more.” The Seagram became a 20th century symbol of corporate power and a model for other company headquarters.
Mies van der Rohe wored with designer Philip Johnson to create the 38-story, stainless-steel and glass building. With bronze-clad pillars and floor-to-ceiling tinted glass, the building appeared as a curtain wall to passers-by. The Seagram Building revolutionized the architectural design of skyscrapers. With smooth glass lines, the building was a total break from the “wedding cake” style of the Empire State or Chrysler Buildings. Mies van der Rohe included a public plaza with fountains as an integral part of his design. This concept changed New York City building codes and the definition of successful public spaces.
Selected to design Church of Religious Science
Dr. Earnest Holmes, Church of Religious Science founder, selected Paul Williams as the architect for their new round church in Los Angeles. Dr. Holmes suggested that the Devil can’t hide in the corners of a round building.
In this 1958 Jet photograph, Williams viewed a rendering of the church with Dr. Earnest Holmes.
New UCLA Botanical Structure Started
Los Angeles Times, May 4, 1958
“The four-story structure will be located in one of the Southland’s most beautiful botanical gardens … Paul R. Williams is executive architect … expected completion date for the Botany Building project is June 1, 1959.”
State Department Job
Jet, February 6, 1958
“Architect Paul Williams, a GOP showcase figure, was nixed for State Dept. architectural job. Reason: not enough experience.”
Kreis Announces Opening of New Signature Room
Desert Sun March 14, 1958
“Milton F. Kreis has announced the opening of his new Signature Room in the Oasis Building…The plush new restaurant and cocktail lounge was designed and executed by the world-famous architect, Paul R. Williams and features many firsts.”
Washington Dulles International Airport, Fairfax, Virginia
To meet the growing demand for more airport capacity in the Washington, D.C. area, the U.S. Congress passed the Washington Airport Act of 1950. A 10,000-acre site in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties was selected and planning began for the new Dulles International Airport. The engineering firm Ammann and Whitney coordinated planning and construction. Finnish born and trained at Yale University, Eero Saarinen was chosen to design the iconic passenger terminal. Construction began in 1958 and took six years to complete.
Saarinen’s design was the first facility designed with modern jet travel in mind. His philosophy of “the Style for the job” allowed the nature of a project to dictate the architectural style. Hoping to convey “the soul of the airport,” the architect’s elliptical Modernist form appeared to lift-off, dramatically conveying the building’s function as an international travel gateway. Saarinen believed his design was “the best thing I have ever done.” In 1966, the terminal building was awarded AIA’s First Honor Award.
Predicts Americans return to urban life
Speaking at the 1959 annual meeting of the National Society of Interior Designers, Williams predicted that in 10 years “people will start coming back to the city to live and will want a home designed around business and social activity.” He described the future of housing as revolutionary. The home of the 1970s … “will possibly feature windowless walls on the street side with all rooms facing inward, and it would also have a filtered, circulating air system to escape the smog…”. (Los Angeles Times, October 20, 1959)
This prediction for the future represented a change in consumer behavior from that previously described in his book New Homes for Today (1946). In this book, Williams predicted that the new homeowner would “buy ground farther from the city where lots are larger. This added area would allow space for family activities” … and provide additional privacy.
A successful architect was always aware of changes in consumer behavior. This 1960s floorplan for the SeaView development illustrated how Williams redirected the living area of the home from the public street to the privacy of the backyard—what the new consumer wanted.
Community Service Center opens in Los Angeles
Los Angeles welcomed more than 500 new residents every day including 90 African Americans. To facilitate their search for housing and jobs, a Community Service Center opened on Western Street. The center was supported by the local Republican Party. Paul Williams chaired the Center’s executive board. (Jet)
A Personal Message to You from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Jet advertisement, October 22, 1959
“I am proud to be a Director of International Opportunity because it is America’s first integrated life insurance company. Working with me, and sharing this great experience in human rights, are Nat ‘King’ Cole, Jesse Owens, Paul R. Williams, Dr. M.C. Williams and many other great Americans—men who believe in equal opportunity for all people. Together—we are now able to bring to every family the protection and privilege of buying the very finest insurance…”
Stahl House, West Hollywood, California
In 2007, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced the list of America’s 150 favorite architectural sites. The Pierre Koenig designed Stahl House was one of only a hand-full of California buildings to make the list. Originally commissioned in 1959 as a Case Study House, this 2,200 square-foot Hollywood Hills residence quickly became a Los Angeles icon. Photographs of the house are used in more than 1,200 newspaper and magazine articles and the residence was the setting for scores of movies and commercials.
Koenig designed the modern, steel frame and glass house for Buck Stahl, a former professional football player. Architect and athlete collaborated in creating the client’s dream—a home with a 270 degree “completely unobstructed view of the mountains to the sea.” (Los Angeles Times, June 27, 2009) To provide an unobstructed view, Koenig used the largest sheets of glass available in the 1950s, creating a house that seemed to float in its environment.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
American millionaire Solomon R. Guggenheim established a foundation in 1937 to build and support a museum dedicated to preserving, promoting and exhibiting his collection of “non-objective” or “non-figurative” painting. Guided by his personal art advisor, Hilla Rebay, Guggenheim assembled one of 20th century’s greatest private collections of modern masters including Calder, Mondrian and Kandinsky.
In 1943, Rebay contacted architect Frank Lloyd Wright to design a building in New York for Guggenheim’s collection, which was then housed in a temporary space. Guggenheim, Rebay and Wright envisioned the new museum as a “temple of non-objective art,” celebrating the avant-garde. A site was selected on 5th Avenue near Central Park.
Wright rejecte4d traditional museum design and incorporated the organic forms of the Park into the museum’s architecture. Architectural historian Matthew Drutt described the design as melding Wright’s interpretation of nature with “modernist architecture’s rigid geometry.” Drutt called the building a “symphony of triangles, ovals, arcs, circles, and squares. Forms echo one another throughout.”
The process of designing and building the Guggenheim took many years. The museum was completed in 1959 after both the philanthropist and architect died. The building was a New York architectural icon though the design remained controversial. Many critics believed the architecture overpowers the art. Wright dismissed their criticism with, “On the contrary, it was to make the building and the painting an uninterrupted, beautiful symphony such as never existed in the World of Art before.” The building was one of the most important of his late career.
1960s
Decade at a Glance
The U.S. population reached 177,830,000. The average life expectancy for men and women was 66+ years. More than 850,000 war babies entered college. State universities, including the California system, began huge expansion programs to accommodate the incoming war babies.
The average wage was $4,743 and a teacher’s yearly salary was $5,174. The minimum wage increased to $1 per hour.
Car-related deaths increased to 21.3 per 100,000. Ralph Nader’s book Unsafe at Any Speed changed the public’s perception of auto safety.
Social philosopher Marshall McLuhan promoted the idea of mass communication as the driving force of a new “global village.”
Men’s hair was longer and women’s dresses were shorter. Polyester Nehru jackets, wide ties, miniskirts, go-go boots, beads and colorful t-shirts were the fashion.
The Black Panthers, the United Farm Workers Association, the hippie movement, Viet Nam War protestors and the National Organization for Women were all important catalysts for social change in the U.S.
The publication of Rachael Carson’s book Silent Spring marked the beginning of the environmental movement.
America’s Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the moon.
Williams active in Republican Politics
In the 1960 Presidential election Paul Williams, along with Joe Louis (the former world heavy weight boxing champion), officially endorsed the Nixon-Lodge presidential ticket in the LA Times, November 3, 1960.
Louis believed Richard Nixon wasthe “best trained” candidate in the race. In this photograph Louis was in the ring with Max Schmeling in 1936.
Homes at Peninsula Built For Best View
Los Angeles Times, October 9, 1960
“Homes in Seaview Palos Verdes, on the southern heights of the peninsula, are positioned individually on terraced lots by Paul R. Williams, FAIA, for maximum view. Some are angled so that the rear expanses of glass will face the most interesting view possible.”
Veterans Buy Most of Homes
Los Angeles Times, March 20, 1960
“Veterans of World War II comprise 95% of the early purchasers of Seaview Palos Verdes Homes, a sales office check has revealed. … Forty-one exterior designs based on nine floor plans have been created by Paul R. Williams, FAIA.
17 Negro Leaders Invited to Ghana Embassy
Jet, April 7, 1960
“In the first such project arranged since the African Freedom Drive, Ghana Ambassador William M.Q. Halm will play host to outstanding U.S. Negro businessmen at the Embassy dinner in Washington. Among those invited…architect Paul Williams.”
Chemosphere, Los Angeles, California
Architect John Lautner’s designs reflected his philosophy of shelter as a basic human need. His works were a meditation on the relationship of people to space and space to nature. An apprentice in the first class at Taliesin (Frank Lloyd Wright’s school), Lautner began his own practice in Los Angeles in 1939. He was credited with Googie-style architecture in the 1950s.
Lautner designed the eight-sided Chemosphere for engineer Leonard Malin on a seemingly impossible location with a 45-degree slope in the Hollywood Hills. Cantilevered from a 30-feet-high, poured concrete pedestal, the home was known locally as the “house on a post.” Part Jetson cartoon, part James Bond party house and totally iconic midcentury modern, the 1960 house was constructed of steel, wood and concrete. A new chemical adhesive-sealant solved the construction problem of bonding the concrete and steel. Owner Malin collaborated with the architect to design a four-seat cable car for access from the road. (Popular Mechanics, October 1961)
Photographed by Julius Shulman, the Chemisphere was featured in a number of motion pictures including Body Double.
1961
Serves with future president
Williams was a member of the advisory council of the Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles. In 1961 actor Ronald Reagan, future President of the United States, served with Williams on this advisory council.
Williams Given Honors at Testimonial
The California Eagle reported that Paul R. Williams was honored as “one of California’s distinguished native sons” at a celebratory breakfast attended by more than 300 people. Meritorious awards were given him from various city and county officials as well as the Young Republicans Unlimited for his service to the region. Prof. Charles A. Bigger dedicated a poem to the honoree, titled “The Man Wanted.”
Building Your Airport From the Ground Up
Los Angeles Times, November 15, 1961
“Superlatives are necessary to describe this, one of the West’s largest and most complex construction projects begun in December 1957. [Los Angeles International Airport] First came 18 months of paper work, the blue print stage of planning and design by a joint venture of architects and engineers—Charles Luckman and Associates (successors to Pereira and Luckman), Weldon Becket, and Paul R. Williams. Thousands of workmen representing every building trade, together with hundreds of pieces of heavy equipment were required to transform bare land into a transportation metropolis which includes over 1,200,000 sq. ft. of buildings and 175 acres of paving.”
On June 25, 1961, Vice President Lyndon Johnson dedicated the new “Jet Age” Airport at Los Angeles International Airport.
Carver Dedicates Building Thursday
The California Eagle, March 9, 1961
“The wraps are off and the Carver Junior High School’s new look will be open to public inspection during dedication ceremony’s Thursday, March 9, at 7 p.m.”
“Paul Williams, architect and designer of the $2,000,000 improvement, will climax the evening’s activities by presenting the keys of the new buildings to Principal Llewellyn Mazique.”
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
St. Jude Research Hospital Dedication
On February 4, 1962, St. Jude Research Hospital in Memphis, TN, was officially opened. Williams supported the mission of the hospital and donated the plans to help entertainer Danny Thomas. Thomas had spent more than a decade raising money to build this shrine to St. Jude.
If I Were Young Today
The essay “If I Were Young Today” appeared in Ebony, August 1963, in a series about successful African Americans reflecting on their careers. During the interview Williams talked about his career choice, “Architecture is the most fascinating profession in the world and one which I thoroughly enjoy.” As a young man Williams knew of only one African American in the profession — Booker T. Washington’s son-in-law William S. Pittman — when he decided to become an architect.
When Williams was deciding on his career path, the profession was almost exclusively white and male. African Americans were typically trained in the skilled building trades. In this 1899 photograph, students were learning bricklaying and masonry skills at the Hampton Institute.
Lighting is Installed for Angel Shrine
Los Angeles Times, January 6, 1963
“Michael J. Garris & Associates, consulting illuminating and electrical engineers, announces the completion and installation of a power and lighting system designed by the firm for the St. Viator’s Guardian Angel Shrine (Las Vegas). Paul R. Williams, FAIA, was architect for the structure … The indirect lighting system is unusual, according to Garris. It conceals extremely narrow and shallow troffers which give the interior an overall light value of 15 ft. candle power. Lighting was used to highlight the mosaic wall mural at the front of the church and behind the altar.”
Art and Architecture Building, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
As president of Yale (1951-1963), A. Whitney Griswold, commissioned many leading American architects—including Louis Kahn, Eero Saarinen and Philip Johnson—to redesign the university’s campus. Griswold’s vision was ambitious, “I don’t need a master plan. I just need great architects.” Paul Rudolph, chair of the Department of Architecture, designed the Art and Architecture Building (A&A). Griswold believed the A&A will be the crown jewel of the campus. Rudolph’s concept was original and controversial from inception—a tour de force of light, mass, and space, with great design attention lavished on every quirky corner.” (Yale Alumni Magazine, February 1998)
The massive A&A, an example of the brutalism-style, was a 36-level building constructed of hammered, poured concrete made with a special aggregate of mica, seashells, stones and branches of coral. The building had both a tactile and optic quality. Yale architecture historian Vincent Scully described the building’s surface as “one of the most inhospitable, indeed physically dangerous ever devised by man…The building repels touch: it hurts you if you try.” (Gray Room, Autumn, 2000)
Before the building opened in 1963, it was widely praised as an example of innovative modern design. Speaking at the building’s dedication, however, British architecture critic Nicholas Pevsner shocked the attendees by criticizing the Rudolph design. Though the building would win a First Honor Award from the AIA, it would be panned by many faculty and students who described their studios as too small, too inhospitable and too inflexible. The building was viewed as a failure until the late 1980s when it was rediscovered by a new generation of Yale students and faculty.
Salk Institute, La Jolla, California
Between 1840 and 1950s polio, a serious illness that could cause paralysis or death, was a worldwide epidemic. Scientist Jonas Salk developed a successful vaccine that helped eradicate the polio virus in the developed world. An international hero, Salk was able to fulfill his dream—creating a world-class, collaborative research center for the study of the biology of life. Salk selected La Jolla, California for his Institute and architect Louis I. Kahn to design the campus. The Salk Institute began research activities in 1963.
Kahn, an important figure in modern architecture, wored with other young architects forming the Architectural Research Group (ARG) in Philadelphia in the early 30s. ARG members were influenced by the ideas of contemporary European designers. Though the group disbanded by 1934, Kahn’s work remained influenced by progressive architectural philosophy. By 1960 Kahn was a long-time member and fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
To realize Jonas Salk’s vision for an Institute fostering cross-disciplinary scientific collaboration, Kahn designed two mirror-image buildings flanking a courtyard. Each building housed a mix of laboratory space and support services. Towers with ocean views contained individual spaces for study and contemplation. To provide a welcoming, inspirational environment, Kahn harnessed light and space to create open, airy rooms. The architect’s selection and use of pozzuolanic concrete, unfinished and unsealed teak, lead glass and steel were dramatic, durable and low maintenance.
The synergy of Salk’s and Kahn’s collaboration produced “a facility uniquely suited to scientific research.” (www.salk.edu)
Successful American Negroes
In the issue naming Martin Luther King, Jr. as TIME’s “Man of the Year” is an 8-page photographic essay listing “some unsung Negro successes in American life.”
Paul Revere Williams is included in this list approximately 25 African Americans; others are:
Alonzo Wright, Realtor
Hattie Mae White, School Board Member
Henry Lewis, Musical Conductor
Samuel L. Gravely, Jr., U.S. Navy Commander
Carl T. Rowan, Diplomat
John M. Burgess, Bishop
Edward J. Dwight, Jr., Astronaut Candidate
Portrait of Paul R. Williams by Taylor Martin for the Paul R. Williams Project.
“A Man With $100,000 Ideas”
Los Angeles Times, April 19, 1964
“His first job as a home architect in the office of Reginald Johnson of Pasadena, a great residential architect, was working on a $125,000 mansion. ‘I just couldn’t imagine what you could put in a house that would cost so much money.’ Paul R. Williams recalled. It didn’t take him long to learn about luxury housing. And when he did, he promised himself that he would devote much of his future to adapting $100,000 concepts to $10,000 homes.”
This photograph was an example of the type of design work completed by Reginald Johnson’s architectural firm during the early 1920s.
Paul Revere Williams was included in this list approximately 25 African Americans; others were: Alonzo Wright, Realtor Hattie Mae White, School Board Member Henry Lewis, Musical Conductor Samuel L. Gravely, Jr., U.S. Navy Commander Carl T. Rowan, Diplomat John M. Burgess, Bishop Edward J. Dwight, Jr., Astronaut Candidate
Portrait of Paul R. Williams by Taylor Martin for the Paul R. Williams Project.
Civil Rights Act Signed
President John F. Kennedy urged the country to provide equal treatment to all Americans regardless of race in 1963. Kennedy was assassinated five months later and President Johnson fufilled Kennedy’s promise of a law to end segregation in America. The Civil Rights Act was passed and signed in 1964.
Festival at Rockford College features Williams’ renderings
The April 1965 issue of Negro Digest described a festival organized by Rockford College near Chicago. The festival celebrated “Creativity and The Negro” and included “architectural renderings by Paul Williams, photographs by Gordon Parks and singing by the inimitable Josh White.” This small liberal arts college with a new “forward looking” president in a conservative Midwestern city, organized this festival reflecting the evolving societal attitude toward African Americans and their accomplishments.
Jane Addams, awarded the 1931 Nobel Peace Prize, was a Rockford College alum. Seen here she was remembered as a pioneering social worker and feminist.
Why The Rioting?
Los Angeles Sentinel, August 19, 1965
“The incident and the arrests which triggered the riot last Wednesday night were only incidental. Because the psychological fires of frustration had been smoldering in the minds of thousands of deprived citizens of Watts and other areas, and it was going to happen some day, anyhow… In all fairness, a little progress had been made … But the image of the police department in the eyes of most of the Negro community is still bad.”
Riots in Watts
On August 11 riots broke out in Watts, a predominately African American neighborhood in South Central Los Angeles in reaction to a police officer pulling over a black motorist. The riot lasted 6 days and resulted in 34 deaths, over 1000 injured and $50 to $100 million in property damage. Nickerson Gardens, a 1954 housing project designed by Paul Williams, was an ignition point of the conflict. Though the riots started as a minor traffic stop, the riot was seen as a symptom of deeper racial problems on the local and national level.
This photograph shows the widespread destruction in Watts.
Voting Rights Act of 1965
President Lyndon B. Johnson (pictured here) signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law prohibiting the denial or abridgement of voting rights because of race or color. This act was passed to enforce the 15th Amendment to the Constitution and had an immediate impact. By December 1965, a quarter of a million new black voters were registered.
Concrete Design—Fedco Department Store
Williams designed the Fedco Department Store in Pasadena, CA, and used modern concrete technology (shrinkage-compensated concrete). The building was designed with “tilt-up” panels made of expansive concrete—a material resistant to drying-shrinkage, crackingm and leaking. “The success of such projects is beginning to point the way to a new era of concrete technology, when design need not take into account the phenomenon of drying-shrinkage cracking.” (AIA Journal, October 1966)
Strictly Collegiate
Jet, April 21, 1966
“When Paul Williams, architect of Los Angeles, made a hurried trip to Nashville, Tenn., and dropped in on Dr. Stephen Wright, the Fisk president proudly showed him the campus’ new buildings, including a $950,000 men’s dorm under construction. Williams was architect for several of Fisk’s buildings.”
Neatly dressed Fisk students are shown in this vintage photograph. Before the 1960s university students at most American colleges and universities typically “dressed up” for class.
Shank House, Altoona, Pennsylvania
Cliff May was credited as the originator of the California ranch-style home first featured in the 1934 issue of Architectural Digest. May’s design influenced how middle-class Americans would want to live for the next 70 years. In 1939 Williams designed and built an upscaled residence incorporating May’s ideas and described by California Arts and Architecture as a “California rancho type house”—Craig/Harris Residence.
The ubiquitous 1960s split-level ranch house (image) was an architectural design solution for California’s hilly terrain. Developers embraced its economy of construction and wide appeal. The style became one of the most popular for the emerging house-hungry middle-class and spread beyond western hills to undeveloped land across the country. One critic panned this wide-spread misuse, “A split level without a hill is a monstrosity — a single-story ranch house and a two-story Cape Codder locked in mortal combat with the chief loser the owner.” (Life, October 6, 1958)
The modern suburban split-level ranch first appeared in the 1960s. The design illustrated an important moment in American cultural history, when the public wanted home design to accommodate not only the family but their car and television with “dens” and carports.
The typical split ranch had three levels with casual floor plans, lower-pitch roofs and eat-in kitchens (a quad has a basement). The upper-level, reached by a half flight of stairs holds the bedrooms and baths. Middle spaces were reserved for the formal living room, kitchen and dining area. The lower level had less formal family spaces such as the den with television. Early splits were 800-1,000 square feet, but by the 90s size expanded to more than 2,100.
The Clair F. and Jean Shank house (image) is an example of the typical ranch style split-level residence of the 1960s with the garage and driveway integral to the design. The home was built of masonite and brick.
Williams Called a “Dean of Architects”
A profile of Paul Williams was published in the September issue of Designers West. In this article, Williams described the on-going challenges of designing California homes. Creating plans for difficult building sites and understanding the client were important elements for “making a home.” Williams believed that imagination was the most important tool an architect could employ in solving design problems. “There is no end of things you can do with a home if you use a little imagination.”
The ubiquitous 1960s split-level ranch house (image) was an architectural design solution for California’s hilly terrain. Developers embraced its economy of construction and wide appeal. The style became one of the most popular for the emerging house-hungry middle-class and spreads beyond western hills to undeveloped land across the country. One critic panned this wide-spread misuse, “A split level without a hill is a monstrosity — a single-story ranch house and a two-story Cape Codder locked in mortal combat with the chief loser the owner.” (Life, October 6, 1958)
The modern suburban split-level ranch first appears in the 1960s. The design illustrated an important moment in American cultural history, when the public wants home design to accommodate not only the family but their car and television with “dens” and carports.
The typical split ranch had three levels with casual floor plans, lower-pitch roofs and eat-in kitchens (a quad has a basement). The upper-level, reached by a half flight of stairs holds the bedrooms and baths. Middle spaces were reserved for the formal living room, kitchen and dining area. The lower level had less formal family spaces such as the den with television. Early splits were 800-1,000 square feet, but by the 90s size expanded to more than 2,100.
The Clair F. and Jean Shank house (image) is an example of the typical ranch style split-level residence of the 1960s with the garage and driveway integral to the design. The home is built masonite and brick.
Jay Paley House Rediscovered by Architectural Digest
In 1968, hotel executive Barron Hilton purchased the residence Williams originally designed for Jay Paley. Searching Beverly Hills for a home large enough for his growing family and lavish entertaining schedule, Hilton selected this classic 1930s residence. Architectural Digest’s photographic essay highlighed the home’s grounds, grand rooms and traditional elegance. (These pictures are similar to the hundreds Mott Studios supplied to publications when the house was first built–an example of a Mott photo is shown here.)
Hilton modernized and refreshed the interior, but left the Williams’ design largely intact.
Just as Paley enjoyed a good party, the Hiltons noted that “… the house has proven to lend itself well to all kinds of social activities.”
Dr. King’s Death Shocks County’s Negro Community
Los Angeles Times, April 6, 1968
“It was a tragic bit of irony that he was killed. He was a lamb. He believed in turning the other cheek. When he had done that, he had only his life to give, and he gave that.” Ron Lunceford, acting director of the Community Action Council of Los Angeles.
“Yesterday was another of those days of very special sorrow, which shocked a people into the kind of self-examination in which they should be continuously, rather than only occasionally, engaged.” Dr. Roger Russell, vice-chancellor for academic affairs, UC-Irvine.
“Martin Luther King symbolized man’s search for peace, equality and human dignity under the law.” Dr. William B. Langsdorf, President Cal State Fullerton
Assassination of Civil Rights Leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
On April 4, 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., charismatic American civil rights leader and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. King was in Memphis to lead a march of sanitation workers protesting low wages and poor working conditions.
Dr. King’s crusade for equal rights for African Americans began with his participation in the Alabama bus boycott in the 1950s. Years later he delievered his historic speech—”I Have a Dream” during the March on Washington, D.C. An advocate of Mahatma Gandhi’s methods, King favored sit-ins and marches instead of physical force to affect change. He was often jailed for his efforts and survived attempts on his life including the bombing of his home.
In Memphis, King was shot and killed by James Earl Ray, a small-time repeat offender looking for notoriety. Ray fled the country and was captured in London, England after a two-month manhunt. He was eventually extradited to Tennessee. Ray confessed to King’s murder but retracted his story and spent the rest of his life weaving intricate tales of conspiracy and intrigue to willing listeners.
Martin Luther King’s assassination lead to rioting in more than 100 U.S. cities.
The Lorraine Motel and the balcony, seen in this photograph, are an important part of the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.
Ford Foundation, New York City
The Ford Foundation was a private foundation located in New York with the mission of advancing human welfare across the globe. Established in 1938 with a grant from Edsel and Henry Ford, the foundation now has assets of over $10 billion.
The Kevin Roche designed headquarters in Midtown New York opened in 1968 and was an immediate success with critics and New Yorkers.
With its glass enclosed atrium, lush terraced urban garden and peculiar cube-like shape, the building was considered one of the most successful post-war buildings in New York.
Williams’ Contributions to Los Angeles Architectural History Appreciated
Modern owners of vintage Paul Williams’ residences located in historic residential developments showed their appreciation and pride in living in one of his homes by allowing non-profit organizations to conduct fundraising tours. In November 1969, a classic Williams Spanish Revival mansion in Flintridge was one of five homes the Pasadena Symphony Association included in their annual Holiday Tour.
To create interest in the fundraiser, Los Angeles Times writer Kim Blair interviewed Williams about how he created his personal interpretation of Spanish Revival architecture. Williams stated, “We were trying to bring back the Spanish feeling to Southern California and for those who wanted something more opulent than the Mission styles we borrowed ideas from the entire Mediterranean area.”
Blair noted the rich architectural details still evident in the Williams designed home including paneled walls of rare woods, carved cornices, beamed ceilings, custom grill work, arched windows and doors and a wonderful flow to the formal public rooms. She added— “Few artisans today are still doing the elaborate wood carvings, carved mansonry and the delicate wrought-iron work which marks the Mediterranean homes built during the 20s.” Though these details were impressive to her modern readers, they were also hallmarks of a classic Williams Spanish Revival design.
The current owner Mrs. A.W. Horton stated, “Even if one could find the craftsmen to do such work, the construction cost would be almost prohibitive.” (Los Angeles Times. November 16, 1969)
Astronauts Honored at West Coast State Dinner
Jet, August 28, 1969
“At the first State dinner ever held outside the White House were two Negro couples from Los Angeles: Architect and Mrs. Paul Williams and Comedian-Actor and Mrs. Eddie (Rochester) Anderson. Musician and Mrs. Lionel Hampton also attended…A White House spokesman said each of the invited guests was ‘a dignitary in his own right.’”
Official NASA photograph of the Apollo 11 astronauts (l to r): Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., lunar module pilot.
Royal Inn To Be Built in Victorville
Los Angeles Times, October 19, 1969
“Developer Paul R. Williams announced that plans are being drafted for a 125-unit Royal Inn northwest of Interstate 15 and Palmdale Road that will represent a $1.2 million investment… The project is one of the few ‘high-rise’ buildings in the area.”
Even in the 1960s Victorville, California was not fully developed. This early photograph shows the landscape.
Walter A. Gropius Dies
Walter Gropius was often considered one of the founders of modern architecture. An influential teacher and writer in Germany and the United States, Gropius stressed the importance of collaboration and teamwork in the architectural process and founded The Architects Collaborative (TAC) in 1946.
Gropius died in 1969 and asked his friends, colleagues and students to celebrate a fiesta, not a funeral. The celebration was held at the offices of the TAC and this testament by Gropius was read:
“Cremate me but ask not for the ashes…Wear no sings of mourning. It would be beautiful if all my friends of the present and of the past could get together …drinking, laughing, loving. Then I shall surely join in more than in life.” Los Angeles Times, July 8, 1969
Image: Gropius House, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Mies van der Rohe, Important Modern Architect Dies
Architect Mies van der Rohe died in August 1969. Mies, along with Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius, changed the public’s perception and acceptance of architecture in the 20th century. While these other big names of architecture experiment with new shapes and forms, Mies prefected his simple, neo-classic style. His vision of architecture for the new industrial age was one of skyscrapers entirely enclosed with glass for utmost “structural economy and clarity and to do this so perfectly that the world of our creation will blossom from within.”
Born and educated in Germany, Mies became director of the Bauhaus School of Design after Walter Gropius resigned the position in 1931. In 1938, he too emigrated to the United States and became the head of the architecture department at the Illinois Institute of Technology. His deceptively simple “glass box” designs wereimitated by lessor architects across the country.
Image: Farnsworth House, Plano, Illinois
Money Men Don’t Call Press To Tell of Giving
Jet, April 6, 1967
“One wealthy Negro, angered by the charge that he and others with money do little to support the civil rights movement, said it was a ‘bold-faced lie.’ ‘When these young kids go out and demonstrate and get thrown in jail, we’re the ones who provide their bail.’”
“Some wealthy Negroes have concentrated their efforts on the civil rights movement, others … have channeled their aid to other areas. In Los Angeles, wealthy Negroes include Norman O. Houston, board chairman of the Golden State Mutual Insurance Co…. and architect Paul Williams. Seven members of the Williams family are NAACP life members.”
National Center for Atmospheric Research, Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
Chinese born I. M. Pei studied at MIT and Harvard Graduate School of Design. This designer became one of the most influential modern architects in America. His work was influenced by the midcentury designs of Mies van der Rohe. Pei was known as an “innovator of concrete construction” advocating its use as “the only way to construct an honest building at low cost.” (Architect’s Journal, 2010) His novel design for the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Colorado was often described as his “breakout” project.
NCAR (1930-1950) was formed by a small group of scientists in response to challenges facing the U.S. in the field of atmospheric science (weather). In the early 60s, the group began formal operations in Boulder, Colorado. Pei wsa commissioned to design a facility to meet the Center’s technical and philosophical needs as well as harmonize with the extraordinary site at the base of the Rocky Mountains. The architect was influenced by nearby Native American cliff dwellings. Using a bush-hammered concrete containing an aggregate of native red sandstone, Pei’s design appeared to rise from the mountainous site.
Known locally as “the Tower in the Sky,” Pei’s design supported the Center’s philosophy of scientific collaboration. Two towers housed the laboratories/offices. The spectacular mountain view top levels (or crows nests) were reserved for individual contemplation.
The Pei’s design for NCAR was awarded the Industrial Research: Laboratory of the Year (1967) and the AIA, Colorado Chapter, 25 Year Award (1997).
Martin Luther King Jr is TIME’s “Man of the Year”
1964 was the first year an African American is named “Man of the Year” by this influential magazine.
“No longer does performance in sport or music circumscribe Negro accomplishments … The criterion for choosing TIME’S Man of the Year is the man or woman who dominated the news of that year and left an indelible mark —for good or ill—on history.” (January 3, 1964)
Touring the Town
Jet, January 18, 1962
“That tantalizing ‘African princess’ on the City of Los Angeles float in the Rose Bowl Parade was Pearl Robinson, a 19-year-old UCLA psychology major. Architect Paul Williams designed the modernistic float.”
This photograph shows a float in one of the earliest Rose Bowl Parades. The first Rose Bowl Parade was in 1890.
A ‘Farewell’ Party at the Errett Cord Mansion
Los Angeles Times, June 9, 1962
An Elegant House Will Be Destroyed
“In its heyday (it was built in 1931, architect Paul Williams’ first major project) it had been the setting for much fabulous entertaining, including one birthday party when the young guests were entertained by a merry-go-round. … There was dancing until almost dawn in the huge ballroom, and when the last guest had left, the house, unlike Cinderella, had no happy ending to contemplate. After next week the damask walls, the marble and the satinwood will be gone.”
Air Force Academy Chapel, Colorado Springs, Colorado
The National Security Act of 1947 established the Air Force as a separate and independent service of the U.S. military. To train a specially educated corps of officers for this service branch, the United States Air Force Academy was established. An area at the foot of the Rampart Range in Colorado was selected for the campus. The firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) designed a master plan for the campus, one of the first government complexes designed in the Modern-style. (Architectural Forum, June 1955)
Architect Walter Netsch collaborated with SOM to design a chapel for the cadets. Netsch’s design was based on the geometric shape of the tetrahedron. The chapel consisted of a frame of 100 identical tubular steel tetrahedrons, each 75-feet long and enclosed with clear aluminum panels. Spaced a foot apart, the gaps in the framework were filled with thick colored glass. Three distinct worship areas were created under the one roof—the Catholic Chapel with seating for 500, a Protestant Chapel for 900, and the circular Jewish Chapel seating 100.
The Air Force Academy Chapel became an instant landmark. As the most visible building from I-25, the chapel was the most photographed building on campus.
Listed among 100 richest African Americans
Ebony magazine consulted many experts to create a published list of the 100 wealthiest African Americans in 1962. Paul Williams was included on this list. The magazine stressed that these individuals “are the genuine articles, however, among the sham and sparkle of the Cadillac-and-Chris-Craft set…honest-to-goodness millionaires often shun the public eye.”
National accolade for use of steel
The Esso gasoline station at LAX, designed by Williams and other noted Los Angeles architectural firms, was cited by the American Institute of Steel Construction for the imaginative use of steel. The canopy over the gas station had a high-rib steel decking radiating from its center. “Under the canopy are smaller free standing circular structures framed with steel decking.” (New York Times, June 3, 1962)
Decade at a Glance
The 1970 Census counted 204,879,000 people living in the U.S. The average life expectancy for all women at 74.8 years, which exceeded men by 7 years.
American workers’ average yearly salary was $7,564. Milk costed 33¢ a quart and steak $1.30 a pound.
The country’s national debt was $382 billion.
The 1970s were the “Me Decade,” individuals looked within themselves for meaning and personal satisfaction.
Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Judy Chicago and performance artists challenged the public’s understanding of art.
The National Guard killed four students at Kent State University during an anti-war protest—a devastating event for Americans. Public opinion shifted regarding the war in Viet Nam.
Sixties inspired fashion goes mainstream. The movie Annie Hall (1977) influenced women’s apparel. Mood rings, pet rocks, smiley-face stickers and nude streaking were popular fads.
Affirmative Action was public policy and changes education, employment and housing.
Television came of age tackling subjects once considered taboo with All in the Family, Three’s Company and Maud.
Athletes are no longer owned by teams but can be “free agents.” Quarterback Joe Namath posed in an advertisement wearing women’s pantyhose.
Frank O. Gehry Residence in Santa Monica, California
“Most people feel comfortable living in a little brick house, or a wood clapboard house, or some other known type. I am not immune to that. I like it myself. But I also think that one has to explore living in the present … it is important to communicate new ideas and discoveries.” (Frank O. Gehry. Bulletin of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1996)
Frank Gehry was an important American architect of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. With public and private projects around the world his designs influenced other architects, and challenged the traditional design maxim–form follows function. Gehry believed that “architecture is so cluttered with problems of function…that architects hide behind a lot of those things and develop rationales based upon functional issues such as keeping the water out and the sun in or out.” (Gehry. Design Quarterly, 1987)
One of Gehry’s earliest projects (1978) was the re-envisioning of his own home in Santa Monica, California. (Image) Beginning with a traditional two-story clapboard bungalow, his design is a mix of materials that surround the original structure in glass, plywood, chain-link fence, asphalt, aluminum metal siding, and plywood. Gehry completed the deconstruction of his home by gutting the interior down to the original 2×4 stud frame and rafters. A “collision of parts” the controversial on-going building project was applauded and panned by neighbors. Gehry considered his family’s home both a free-form sculpture and a collage…built to stay but “deliberately unfinished.”
The Gehry Residence was the winner of the AIA’s 2012 Twenty-Five Year Award for “a building that has stood the test of time for 25 to 35 years as an embodiment of architectural excellence.”
50 Years of Home Design
Nearing his retirement from active practice, Paul R. Williams’ abilities as a master of California elegance are recognized by influential Los Angeles interior designers—a 1934 estate from his “bygone days” is selected as the 1970 Design House West. The decorators refreshed the interior of the 30-room Barrick mansion on Ambazac Way and bring it back to “modern-day life.” Public tours of the house were a fundraiser for various cancer-related charities.
To publicize the event Los Angeles Times writer Maggie Savoy interviewed Williams. In the lengthy article the architect reminisced about his work with famous and powerful clients and the importance of their individual psychologies in personalizing the design. “People don’t always know what they want. It is the architect’s job to help them find it, and keep within the bounds of grace.” Williams’ tact, refined taste and ability to design a home, no matter the size, became his signature. Looking back on his professional career, Paul Williams’ interview with Savoy is an excellent summary of his aesthetic and work philosophy.
This photograph shows Williams’ design for one of his important 20th century celebrity clients—Frank Sinatra. This example of chic midcentury architecture was torn down.
Alumnae To Host Tour of Estate
Los Angeles Times, October 16, 1970
“Valley Alumnae Club of Pi Beta Phi will host a luncheon and tour of Design House West on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Members will view the 42-year-old estate…which was designed by architect Paul Williams.” [image]
In 1973 Williams begins designing a sorority house on the USC campus for Pi Beta Phi. This is one of his last commissions before retiring from his practice.
First Commercial Microprocessor Is Announced
In November, 1971 the Intel Corporation announces the development of a single chip microprocessor—the Intel 4004 (U.S. Patent #3,821,715). The company’s engineers revolutionize computer design by placing all the parts that make a computer think on one small chip—the size of a cornflake. This chip is as powerful as the first computers that filled an entire room. Intelligence can now be programmed into inanimate objects. The Intel 4004 is an important first step in the development of the personal computer and software that shape and transform modern society.
Williams Name Adds Value
Los Angeles Times, March 21, 1971
“An estate property at 1001 N. Crescent Drive, Beverly Hills, has been sold for $400,000 by the Harleigh Sandler Co. Mr. and Mrs. J. Silverstein bought the Paul Williams designed home.”
In 1955 Williams designs a 5,300 sq ft home in Beverly Hills for John Landis, President of Mission Pak fruit shippers. In 1961 the residence and grounds are featured in House Beautiful illustrated with photographs by Maynard L. Parker. The house is resold in 1995 for $2,6000,000 and is advertised as a Williams’ design.
St. Jude Event Set To Salute Its Designer
The Commercial Appeal, March 19, 1972
“Paul R. Williams, architect and designer of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, will be honored at a dinner May 17 which will observe the hospital’s 10th anniversary…Edward F. Barry, chairman of the St. Jude board of governers, said in announcing the dinner, ‘It is a token of appreciation for the generosity of Mr. Williams, who did not charge a penny for all the work he and his firm did in designing the hospital.’”
This photograph taken in 1962 for the Memphis Press-Scimitar newspaper, is an aerial view of the completed hospital. Very little of the original building survives today.
St. Jude hospital architect to be honored
Tri-State Defender, April 1, 1972
“Williams said he regards St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as the most ‘satisfying’ building he ever designed because of the work done in it…Williams’ roots grow from Memphis to his home in Los Angeles…His father was headwaiter at the Old Peabody Hotel until he moved his family to Southern California before the turn of the century. His mother was a native Memphian, too.”
This was how the Peabody Hotel (building on left) looked when Chester Williams worked there as a waiter from 1884-1893. It was located at Main and Monroe.
USC Honors Williams
As Paul R. Williams began to think about retiring from active practice he is honored by peers and others in the community. Tributes were announced at a testimonial dinner given for Williams. University of Southern California named a room in his honor in the soon-to-be-completed Watt Hall in the architectural complex. In addition the creation of the USC Paul Williams Scholarship in architecture is announced and Broadway Federal Savings and Loan Association donated the first check.
Colleagues Honor Paul R. Williams
Los Angeles Times, May 27, 1973
“Paul Williams, whom we honor here tonight, pioneered this profession as a minority architect and has, consequently, removed some of the barriers confronting us, thus, giving to us that incentive to press forward in a society with a slowly changing attitude, Harold Williams (no relation), president of the Association of Minority Architects and Planners of Southern California, told the audience of 450 at the Beverly Wilshire.”
In the 1940s and 1950s Williams was hired for the extensive renovations at the Beverly Wilshire. The hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Williams’ additions/renovations were cited in the supporting document as significant examples of 1940s to 1950s period architecture.
Oil Crisis
The Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) initiated an Oil Embargo against the United States in response to America’s support of Israel during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. As U.S. petroleum production fell, the country grew dependent on imported foreign oil. The crisis had decades long affects on American society:
- Stagflation, stagnet growth combined with inflation, gripped the country and Americans became less optimistic about the future;
- The romance of owning a large automobile waned;
- The government mandated fuel efficiences and the age of energy conservation began—conserving gasoline became a national obsession;
- Americans considered other forms of transit to commute from home to work;
- Suburban homeownership looks less inviting as the cost of gasoline rises.
In 1959 Paul R. Williams predicted that “people will start coming back to the city to live and will want a home designed around business and social activities.” He could not foretell the energy issues of the 1970s when he made this prediction, but his understanding of consumer behavior and psychology informed his vision of the future.
Survey of Black Architects and Craftsmen published
First titled Negro Digest (1942), Black World (1961-1975) is originally a compilation of previously printed articles of interest to African America readers. Published by John H. Johnson, the magazine is similar in format to Reader’s Digest. During the 1960s the magazine is often controversial and evolves into a forum for African American thought on culture and the role of Black Power. In a 1970 editorial, the publisher writes that the magazine will “routinely publish articles which will probe and report the conditions of peoples and their struggles throughout the Black World.”
In 1974 Black World published an original article by architect and historian Richard K. Dozier surveying the history and ongoing importance of Black architects and craftsmen to the minority community and their influence on the greater American building tradition. Dozier notes the work of slave craftsmen and the founding of Tuskegee Institute in 1881 as important milestones. Though Paul Williams had recently retired from active practice, contemporary photographs of his projects illustrate the survey.
The Family Keeps Changing, But The Design Remains
Los Angeles Herald Examiner (California Living), April 11, 1976
“One of the last projects which architect Paul Williams F.A.I.A gave personal attention before his retirement—an elegant colonial house on USC’s sorority row— was also a first for the famed Los Angeles architect. He had never designed a sorority house. He said he wanted to ‘design the most beautiful sorority house in America.’ “
The sorority house is seen in this contemporary photograph.
Operation Sail: Ships From 20 Nations to Join in Bicentennial Event
Gadsden Times, December 13, 1975
” ‘I don’t think you’ll see anything of this magnitude again,’ said Harry Lynch, who heads the Boston end of the operation. ‘It will be the greatest armada of sailing ships ever seen in this hemisphere. There is no doubt about it being the biggest spectacle of 1976.’”
American Revolution Bicentennial
The United States commemorated the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence with a year-long celebration. All 50 states developed a variety of activities to commemorate the Declaration but the Freedom Train and Operation Sail are national in scope. The Freedom Train toured the 48 contiguous states and contained historic artifacts rarely seen outside of museums. During Operation Sail, 16 antique, square rigged sailing ships from around the world, along with hundreds of smaller vessels converged on New York Harbor on July 4. Six days later the flotilla entered Boston Harbor led by the USS Constitution, under tow. The entry of the tall ships into New York Harbor were broadcasted around the world by the major television networks.
Hundreds of “sanctioned” and unofficial patriotic festivals and observances took place across the United States during the celebration year. The Bicentennial was a respite from the national trauma of the 1970s.
Maynard L Parker, architectural photographer, dies
Maynard L. Parker’s photographs are a visual record of 20th century California life-style. In the 1920s Parker worked for Mott Studios, the company that sets the standards for modern architectural photography. Using floodlights and stage-like settings for each room, his pictures of the homes and haunts of movie stars and the affluent helped craft their glamorous images for the curious public. An example of this technique is seen in this Mott photograph of the Jay Paley residence.
In the 1930s Parker worked as an independent photographer and his many commissions chronicled the design work of important California architects including Paul R. Williams and Cliff May. His images of a May design on the cover of Sunset (1946) helped usher in the age of the California ranch house—a style that swept the country.
Parker worked with editors of every major design magazine in America but his relationship with Elizabeth Gordon, the powerful editor of House Beautiful (1941) was important for his career. His photographs of the homes of the powerful and famous were important elements Gordon used to promote her aesthetic message. The Parker images illustrated her advocacy of the American life-style, American design, and the education of an emerging middle class American consumer. His association with Gordon and House Beautiful continued through the 1960s.
Maynard Parker photographs scored of Williams’ homes and hundreds of these photos were recycled in design and building trades magazines or as illustrations in decorating books. His images of the Jay Paley residence were widely published and were important in crafting the mystique of both the house and its swimming pool. (The Zodiac Pool is often listed as one of the most beautiful ever built in the U.S.) Parker’s use of dramatic lighting, curated room settings and wide-angle lens created the chic understated “look” often associated with Paul R. Williams.
Maynard L. Parker died in 1976 and his work was quickly forgotten. Parker’s reputation was revived and his artistry rediscovered in 2012 with the cataloging and digitizing of his photographs housed at the Huntington Library and the publication of Jennifer A. Watts’ book—Maynard L. Parker: Modern Photography and the American Dream. Thousands of Mott Studio photographs, including Parker’s, are now digitized and available through the California State Library’s web site. Many of his photographs of Paul R. Williams’ designs are included in the collections at both libraries.
Philip Johnson “The Philosopher Architect” Profiled
“Anybody who makes a progostication’s a damned fool. I’ve done it and I know it’s always, always wrong…The greatest challenge in the next century in architecture? Just the continual anguish and reform and replanning and nobody, nobody knows what strange changes are going to take… And now the kids! We have a wonderful generation coming, twisting it all out of what an older person would think was shape. But they’re doing it with such panache, with such verve, with such delightful humor, that a whole new panoply of architecture’s opened up.”
The Difference between Shelter and Sanctuary
A. Quincy Jones had a thriving practice that changed the face of suburban Southern California and reflects the values of an emerging American middle class homebuyer. He also taught and became the Dean of the University of Southern California’s School of Architecture (1951-1967). His philosophy of valuing “meaningful living” over “mundane existence” influenced hundreds of new architects. He advised his students to design not only a living space but also “a sense of community.”
During the last decade of his life, Jones was interviewed extensively about his belief that residential design is about people. He encouraged young architects to view their practices as “Designing for the Homes of Tomorrow.” He advised them to “have the strength” to turn down developers who proposed projects they do not believe in because one can “make more money by providing the best possible living experience for the people who buy his houses” instead of creating sterile, one-size-fits-all subdivisions.
Many of his ideas echoed those Paul R. Williams proposed decades earlier in his books—The Small House of Tomorrow (1945) and New Homes For Today (1946). Both Williams and Jones were considered “champions” and advocates for small, affordable California housing.
Architect A. Quincy Jones dies
After receiving his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Washington, A. Quincy Jones works for Paul R. Williams from 1939 to 1940. In 1945 Jones opens his own architectural practice but continues to collaborate with Williams for decades on more than 20 projects including the Palm Springs Tennis Club (1947), Town and Country restaurant (1948), proposed Coconut Island Club International (1946) and Pueblo Gardens, a large Del Webb housing project built in Arizona during the 1940s and 1950s. Both men believe in the importance of small home ownership for American society.
Williams and Jones bring unique skills and strengths to their relationship. John Crosse, a Southern California architectural historian, notes that reading personal correspondence between the two men indicates they “obviously had a mutual respect for each other.” At the start of his practice Jones asks his mentor for advise on a variety of residential projects. Crosse states, “The association between Williams and Jones worked pretty much like this: Williams got the clients and Jones did the design and construction oversight, a win-win for the duo.” (SOCALARCHHISTORY 12/13/2009)
1972
1970s
1971
1973
1974
1976
1980s
Paul Revere Williams dies January 1980
Tributes to Williams in the news
Los Angeles Sentinal, January 31, 1980
“The cover of the all white program carried the initials PRW impressively embossed in gold. Nothing else. Paul R. Williams…was a very private person. He was eulogized at his beloved First A.M.E Church in quiet dignity. Everything was planned to perfection, just as he would have had it.”
Los Angeles Times, January 28, 1980
“When he died Wednesday at age 85 Williams left behind thousands of silent monuments to his artistic skills.”
Chicago Tribune, January 30, 1980
“The glorious life of one of my childhood heroes ended last week. But I felt no tendency to mourn his passing. I weep only for those—particularly the young—who never knew about the achievements of this man.” Vernon Jarrett, writer for the Tribune.
1990s
Williams’ professional records lost