Paul Revere Williams: Architect to the Stars.

Williams grew up in Los Angeles, attended High School and then attended, Los Angeles School of Art. He graduated from University of Southern California (USC) in 1919 and went on to work at the established firms of Wilbert D. Cook Jr. and George D. Hall. Shortly after he received his license and became the first black member of the AIA (Architecture Institute of America) of Southern California Chapter in 1923. Further he was the first black person to become a fellow in the AIA in 1953.

He was the first African American Architect West of the Mississippi, a member of the Los Angeles Housing Commision (1947), National Monument Commission (1953), and the National Housing Commission (1953). He was very busy and respectable, but ever so humble. While he designed churches and many homes for the Stars in L.A. He always sorrowfully remembered his place in society as an African American and that he could only do so much with the prejudice that prevailed around him.

He designed a home for Desi and Lucy Arnaz (I love Lucy from the 60's). He designed a beautiful home for Frank Sinatra and many more just as amazing. He had extraordinary talent sketching and drawing and even had mastered the ability to do it upside down. As his clientele was white, he created space for them on the opposite side of the desk and sketched and pointed to the architectural drawings upside down so that he might not offend them.

He remembered being warned that he would never be a success because he would only be able to get black clients and they would never be able to afford him. Whenever a client walked into his office and asked what he charged. He would ask them what they were wanting to pay. He would charge them a lot more and say otherwise he was too busy to take their business and they would happily pay whatever he asked.

Some of his homes in California remain today and they are much beloved and treasured by their owners who value the history of their homes. Nevertheless, some have been torn down and replaced with the shiny and new. The neighbors always mourn the loss of another amazing home as another eyesore goes up in its stead. They are gone but not forgotten.

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Paul Revere Williams as a young man