Association for Women in Architecture + Design
The Association for Women in Architecture and Design (AWA+D) is a nonprofit professional association based in Los Angeles, California. The organization aims to support women working in the fields of architecture and design through educational programming, networking, and mentoring.[1] The history of the AWA+D dates back to 1922.[2]
History
In 1915 four female architect students from Washington University in St. Louis were rejected from the male architectural fraternity. These women, Helen Milius, May Steinmesch, Jane Pelton, and Angela Burdeau created their architectural sorority called La Confrerie Alongine.[3] La Confrerie Alongine later became Alpha Alpha Gamma. Those four women found many female architect students like themselves across numerous college campuses and started many chapters of Alpha Alpha Gamma. Founded on January 28, 1922, Alpha Alpha Gamma became an official national sorority supporting female students studying architecture.[3] In 1934, practicing women architects formed the Association of Women in Architecture, with Alpha Alpha Gamma remaining the affiliate organization for students entering the workforce.[2] In 1948 the organization elected to rename the Association for Women in Architecture to the Association for Women in Architecture and Allied Arts for the professional chapters to support women in similar fields facing similar challenges. This name change helped support women in fields of architecture, interior design, engineering, and artists of various principles. [4]
By 1950, there were around twenty professional and student chapters across the country. With the growth came pressure to maintain the association title. Doing so, meant publishing a newsletter called Keystone, as well as funding for a national annual convention. Because of the pressure, the organization precipitated to a re-organization, thus leading the organization to dissolve in 1964. Though both student and professional chapters continued in universities and cities across the United States.[3]
The Los Angeles chapter of the Association for Women in Architecture (AWA-LA), soon became the sole survivor of AWA, with a large growth rate within the Los Angeles area. In 1975, the AWA-LA expanded membership to include others with an interest in supporting women. This expansion in membership included men, thus the "of women" portion of the name was changed to "for women" to represent the introduction of allowing men into the organization with the ideal to support women.[3]
In 2012, the organization changed from the Association for Women in Architecture and Allied Arts to the Association for Women in Architecture and Design to support architects, contractors, interior designers, engineers, urban planners, designers, and artists in similar fields, and students enrolled in these fields.[5] Today Association for Women in Architecture and Design being a 501(c)(6) not for profit organization. With the Los Angeles chapter being the main chapter, today[when?] the organization supports women and the advances that women in these fields experience.
The organization's archives are held at the University Libraries at Virginia Tech in the International Archive of Women in Architecture (IAWA).[6]
Chapters
Chapter of Alpha Alpha Gamma included:[7]
- 1922 – Alpha – Washington University in St. Louis
- 1922 – Beta – University of Minnesota
- 1922 – Gamma – University of Texas
- 1922 – Delta – University of California
- 1925 – Epsilon – University of Illinois
- 1928 – Zeta – University of Michigan
- 1935 – Eta – Cornell University
- 1950 – Theta – Kansas State University
- 1956 – Iota – Auburn University
- 1957 – Kappa – University of California, Los Angeles
- 1966 – Lambda – University of Kansas
Notable members
Norma Sklarek, a notable "first", was the first African- American woman to receive a New York architectural license. As well as being the first woman to be elected as a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects (FAIA). Later joining the Margot Siegel AIA Architecture firm. Which was established by another member, Margot Siegel in 1971. Another AWA-LA member, Kate Diamond, joined the firm. The joining of these three AWA-LA members within Margot Siegel AIA Architecture firm created the largest women-operated and owned firm.[3]
- Georgia Louise Harris Brown[8]
- Norma Sklarek[3]
- Katherine Diamond[9]
- Margot Siegel[3]
- Henrietta May Steinmesch (co-founder)
External links
References
- ^ "About Us". awaplusd.org. Archived from the original on 2016-10-23. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- ^ a b "IAWA Biographical Database". iawadb.lib.vt.edu. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Our History". Association for Women in Architecture. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
- ^ "Our Mission". AWA+D 100. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
- ^ "Who We Are". Association for Women in Architecture. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
- ^ Association for Women in Architecture Records, 1928-1992
- ^ Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities. Baird's Manual Foundation, Incorporated. 1991. pp. V–65–66.
- ^ ""Only Woman at Engineering Firm"". Ebony. 1950. Archived from the original on 2018-01-02. Retrieved 2022-10-22 – via bwaf.org.
- ^ "IAWA Biographical Database". iawadb.lib.vt.edu. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
