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Paul R. Williams: Trailblazing "Architect to the Stars" Who Helped Shaped Los Angeles


Born in Los Angeles on February 18, 1894, Paul R. Williams grew up with the city; his parents had migrated west from Tennessee.

Orphaned by the age of four, Williams learned early the qualities of fierce determination that would guide his course.

He was encouraged to learn from every experience by the strong-willed foster parents who took him in.
His education began at Sentour Avenue School on Pico Boulevard, where he was the only "Negro" in his class.

Known as the class artist, Williams spent endless hours drawing. His talent caught the eye of a local builder who planted the seed of an architectural career in his mind.

From his student days at the Polytechnic High School in Los Angeles, Williams aspired to be an architect, but was told, "Who ever heard of a Negro architect?" Williams worked his way through the University of California by teaching art until he became a certified architect in 1915.

He continued his studies at the Los Angeles School of Art and Design and the Beaux Arts Institute of Design in New York. Following graduation, Williams was the only African-American licensed west of the Mississippi as early as the 1920s...

Sources: 'Paul Williams was a Brilliant Architect' in aaregistry.org and 'The Paul Revere Williams Project' in paulrwilliamsproject.org

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