This research examines Paul R. Williams, a transformative figure in the history of architecture and the built environment. Though one of the first Black architects licensed to practice in the US, Williams remains significantly understudied. Focusing on the newly acquired Williams archive, this project aims to correct this historical erasure with the goal of making key contributions to the history of African American spatial production, the Los Angeles region, and the architectural profession more broadly.

• Series of three contemporaneous exhibitions at Getty, USC, and LACMA that activate the Paul R. Williams archive
• Peer-reviewed exhibition catalog with scholarly essays and extensive visual representation of archival materials and exhibition objects
• Program series activating a number of Paul R. Williams buildings and sites across Los Angeles, in partnership with communities, groups, and artist-run organizations
• Oral history project, the records of which will be made digitally available
• Special dedicated issue of the Getty Research Journal
• Research symposium

In 1921, Williams became the first Black architect licensed to practice in the US west of the Mississippi. In 1923, he became the first Black member of the American Institute of Architects. And in 1957, he was the first Black person to be inducted as a Fellow of the Institute. Over the course of his unprecedented career, which spanned nearly six decades, Williams realized more than 3,000 projects across a diverse array of building types and stylistic idioms, rendering him one of the most prolific and impactful architects of the 20th century. His archive, jointly acquired in 2020 by the Getty Research Institute and USC School of Architecture, documents a significant portion of this groundbreaking architect's work.

Getty Project Team
Project Leads
LeRonn Brooks, Getty Research Institute
Maristella Casciato, Getty Research Institute
Gary Riichirō Fox, Getty Research Institute

Project Team
Ann Harrison, Getty Research Institute
Sara McGillivray, Getty Research Institute
Tamia Anaya, Getty Research Institute
Aunica Cesena, Getty Research Institute

External Project Co-Leads
Milton Curry, USC School of Architecture
Amy Murphy, USC School of Architecture
Valéry Augustin, USC School of Architecture
Staci Steinberger, LACMA
Naima J. Keith, LACMA