Profile: Paul R. Williams, Architect of Enduring Hope

Architect • Visionary • Community Builder

One image introduces Paul Revere Williams, an architect whose extraordinary talent transformed the American landscape while overcoming barriers that once excluded African Americans from the profession. The other features the original campus of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a project for which Williams donated his architectural design services, helping turn Danny Thomas's vision of a hospital where no child would be denied treatment because of a family's ability to pay into reality. 

Together, these images tell a story that extends beyond elegant design. They illustrate Williams's belief that architecture should improve lives by creating places of beauty, purpose, and hope. Whether designing homes, churches, hospitals, schools, or civic landmarks, he approached every project with the same commitment to excellence. His work continues to remind us that great architecture leaves a legacy measured not only by its appearance but also by the people it serves. 

Overview:

Paul Revere Williams (1894–1980) was one of America's most accomplished architects, designing more than 3,000 buildings during a career that spanned six decades. Born in Los Angeles, California, he was orphaned by the age of four and raised by foster parents who encouraged his artistic ability. Despite facing racial discrimination throughout his life, Williams pursued architecture with determination, studying at the Los Angeles School of Art, the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design, and the University of Southern California. Licensed as an architect in California in 1921, he opened his own practice the following year and became the first African American admitted to the Southern California chapter of the American Institute of Architects. His remarkable portfolio included luxury homes, hotels, churches, hospitals, schools, commercial buildings, and civic landmarks, making him one of the most versatile and influential architects of the twentieth century. 

Architecture That Welcomed People

Paul R. Williams brought imagination, elegance, and a strong sense of human connection to his architecture. At the Founders Church of Religious Science, he drew on the church’s philosophy of wholeness and positivity to design a modern-style, elliptically shaped building intended to enhance feelings of inclusion and togetherness.  For the La Concha Motel in Las Vegas, Williams designed the dramatic parabolic-shell lobby and entrance, creating a striking welcome for guests. At the Beverly Hills Hotel, which had been designed decades earlier by other architects, Williams was hired to reshape and expand the existing landmark. His work included the Crescent Wing, redesigned lobby and other signature spaces. Together, these projects show how Williams could create something entirely new—or transform an existing landmark—while making architecture memorable and inviting.

Designing the American Home

Published in 1946, Paul R. Williams's New Homes for Today offered readers a collection of more than 30 home designs, presenting architectural renderings, floor plans, and descriptions of the homes. The pages shown here illustrate how Williams translated an exterior design into a detailed floor plan—and how the book invited prospective homeowners to take the next step by ordering working drawings and specifications for the designs they preferred.

The book provides an unusual glimpse into Williams's work beyond the grand homes and famous buildings for which he is often remembered. He was also presenting architectural design directly to the growing postwar market for new American homes, giving families access to professionally designed houses and allowing them to choose among different styles and layouts. The result is both a record of Williams's architectural work and a window into how residential architecture was being marketed to Americans in the years immediately following World War II.

Paul R. Williams's book, New Homes for Today, offered potential homebuyers a collection of more than 30 home designs. 

Why This Story Matters:

Paul Williams transformed American architecture while challenging assumptions about who could succeed in one of the nation's most competitive professions. During an era of widespread racial discrimination, he became known not only for exceptional design but also for his professionalism and adaptability. Williams famously learned to draw upside down so white clients could view his sketches from across a table without sitting beside him—an illustration of the prejudice he endured and the determination with which he met it. Rather than allowing discrimination to define his career, he responded by producing thousands of buildings that reflected the dreams of families, businesses, hospitals, churches, and entire communities. His career expanded opportunities for future architects while demonstrating that creativity, preparation, and perseverance could reshape both the profession and the built environment. 

Legacy:

Paul Revere Williams left an architectural legacy unmatched in both scope and influence. His designs ranged from modest homes to internationally recognized institutions, reflecting an extraordinary ability to understand the needs of each client while maintaining the highest professional standards. His buildings continue to serve families, travelers, worshippers, students, patients, and communities throughout the United States and abroad. Williams also helped transform the architectural profession by proving that talent and determination could overcome barriers that once excluded African Americans from leadership in the field. Today, his work remains a source of inspiration for architects and designers, while the buildings he created continue fulfilling the purposes for which they were designed—bringing beauty, function, and hope to everyday life. His decision to donate the design for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital reflected a lifelong belief that architecture could be an act of public service as well as artistic achievement. 

Discussion Questions:

1. Paul Williams designed buildings for hospitals, churches, businesses, homes, and schools. What does this variety suggest about the role architects play in shaping everyday life?

2. Williams faced discrimination throughout his career but continued to pursue excellence. How might his experiences have influenced the way he approached his work and treated his clients?

3. Buildings like St. Jude Children's Research Hospital continue serving people decades after they were constructed. Why might an architect's greatest achievement be measured by how a building improves lives rather than simply how it looks?

Reflection Prompt:

1. Paul Williams believed architecture should meet practical needs while inspiring the people who used it. Working during a time when racial discrimination created significant professional barriers, he continued designing buildings that served people from every background. What does his career suggest about the relationship between perseverance, creativity, and the power to positively impact others? 

Sources & Further Reading:

1. “Williams, Paul R. (1894–1980).” BlackPast. Website. 

2. “Nine Places That Illustrate the Life of Trailblazing Black Architect Paul R. Williams.” Saving Places. National Trust for Historic Preservation. Website. 

3. “Still Here: Three Architects of Afro-America, Julian Francis Abele, Hilyard Robinson, and Paul R. Williams.” Harvard Design Magazine, No. 2. Summer 1997. Website 

4. “Paul R. Williams Architectural Catalogue.” HathiTrust Digital Library. Website. 

5. “Visual Timeline: The Remarkable Life of Paul Revere Williams.” Hollywood's Architect. PBS SoCal. Website. 

6. “Founder’s Church Named as National Historic Site.” Los Angeles Sentinel. February 19, 2020. Newspaper. 

7. “La Concha Motel.” Paul Revere Williams Project. Website. 

8. “St. Jude Hospital.” Paul Revere Williams Project. Website. 

9. “Paul Williams Designs Hospital for Danny Thomas.” The Miami Times. August 24, 1957, p. 9. Newspaper. 

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