The Directory of African American Architects

Jan 19, 2010 It is with a heavy heart that we advise that Simon Wiltz, RA, NOMA passed away in a car accident this morning. To those of you that knew him, you will share in the grief of a lost and beloved architect, professor, mentor and friend. No official details have been released but we will pass along any information about the services as soon as it is received. Simon will be missed.

Jan 19, 2010 We are saddened to learn of the passing of Horace Cantrell, FAIA. Mr. Cantrell was an architect in Indiana and a good friend of Wendell Campbell. I recall Wendell telling me that they used to race against each other in high school. The races were always very close but they always competed in a good natured way. Mr. Cantrell will be missed by his family, friends, and colleagues.

Jan 8, 2010 From Dean Richard Dozier: A sad note Jackie McCracken a 1969/71 Tuskegee grad passed January 1, 2010. He was among the AA pioneers with the Mobile Division of the Core of Engineers from which he had retired a number of years ago. He was one of the early Tuskegee grads under the accredited program. Will be attending the Memorial Service Saturday January 9, 2010.

Aug 22, 2009 See this comprehensive image gallery of many of the African American Architects who have been movers and shakers in the profession over the past (at least) thirty years: http://archrecord.construction.com/community/diversity/0905/breakthroughs/slide_1.asp

Aug 16, 2009 Debra Pinder Symonette, 52, of Philadelphia, artist, teacher, architect passed recently. Her many talents and commitment to learning, creativity, and community will be remembered by all the lives she touched. More about her legacy can be found at http://www.philly.com/philly/obituaries/51844087.html

Aug 5, 2009 Mr. Clyde Winston Judson, Jr., 57, an architect in Miami, FL, recently passed while attending a ground breaking ceremony for a community center he designed. Our condolences go to his family, friends, and colleagues. More information can be found at the following link: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/1110995.html?storylink=mirelated

May 1, 2009 Mr. Irvin William Fuller, Jr., AIA, an architect in Los Angeles, passed away April 25, 2009. He was born in Berwick, Louisiana in 1927 and was a graduate of Tuskegee. His architectural career spanned over fifty years including service as a commissioner for the California State Board of Architects.

Apr 3, 2009 Our congratulations to James Washington, an architect in New Orleans and former President of NOMA, who will be elevated to Fellowship in the American Institute of Architects at their annual convention in San Francisco in May.

Mar 17, 2009 We were sorry to hear that Kenneth Owens, FAIA, passed away on March 7, 2009. Ken was one of the pioneers among Black architects in the South. He will be sorely missed by his family, friends, and colleagues. More information can be found at http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/03/birmingham_architect_ken_owens.html

Feb 19, 2009 We were very saddened to hear of the passing of architect J. Max Bond, Jr., FAIA, a partner in the New York firm Davis Brody Bond Aedas. Mr. Bond was a superb educator, a talented architect, a gentleman, and a man of the highest integrity. We remember Max as always willing to support our work, as being never too busy to answer an Email or write a letter of recommendation for a project that Brad and I were pursuing for this web site, or being a mentor for minorities entering the profession. Our sympathies go to his family. He will be missed. For more information see:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/arts/design/19bond.html?_r=1

Jan 21, 2007 We are proud to announce that THE DIRECTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN ARCHITECTS has received a 2007 AIA Award for Collaborative Achievement. The Directory of African American Architects, established in 1991 by two faculty, Professor Bradford Grant, chair of Architecture at Hampton University, and Dennis Mann, Professor of Architecture at the University of Cincinnati, have garnered an Institute Honor for Collaborative Achievement for its success in advancing “the visibility, representation, and contributions of African-American architects,” in the words of its founding collaborators. The directory lists more than 1,500 African-American architects who practice in the private and public sectors, teach in higher education, or work outside the profession and still maintain licensure. The listing, with its series of highlight studies, continues to expand and now includes a Web site [http://blackarch.uc.edu] and a comparable listing of landscape architects. Noting the directory’s immediate usefulness, J. Max Bond Jr., FAIA, writes in support of the nomination: “The Directory’s existence helped give a presence to African-American architects. It helped people contact each other and thus helped to reinforce the creation of a community of Architects.”