Five Things You Should Know About Architect Paul R. Williams
Paul R. Williams, 1951. Herald-Examiner Collection/Los Angeles Public Library.
Paul R. Williams was an extraordinary man and a prolific Architect practicing during Hollywood’s Golden age. He worked on a wide variety of projects including churches, airports, public housing, courthouses, and offices; however, he is best known for his luxury custom homes. He produced over 3,000 projects spanning nearly 6 decades. He was capable of working in many different architectural styles, leading historians to describe his architectural language as eclectic. Regardless of the style, he always maintained good proportion, light and materials in his work. He would begin with a prescribed architectural style, then through the process, shape and mold the design until it was uniquely his own.
As a young African American Architect, Williams had to overcome the unfortunate racial prejudice of the time. He didn’t just overcome it; he was able to thrive. Williams would become the first African American member of the American Institute of Architects in 1923 and the first African American fellow in 1957. Below are five things you should know about Architect Paul R. Williams.
“Virtually everything pertaining to my professional life during those early years was influenced by my need to offset race prejudice, by my effort to force white people to consider me as an individual rather than a member of a race. I encountered irreconcilables who simply refused to give me a hearing, but on the whole, I have been treated with amazing fairness.”
1. Younger Years and Starting His Practice
Paul Williams was born in Los Angles in 1894. His father sold fruit and vegetables downtown. His parents died when he was a young boy, and shortly after he was brought in by another family from his church. He was the only African American student in his class however, however, does not recall much prejudice at this early age. Williams would develop an identity as the class artist and use his talents to gain favor of his classmates. He went on to study at Polytechnic High School in Los Angeles where he continued to hone his drawing skills. Following graduation, he would begin to apply for architectural drafting positions around town. It was during this process that he recalls feeling the full impacts of prejudice and racism. Even though he was a qualified candidate, and the firms needed the help, they would often not offer him a position. He would eventually gain employment by agreeing to as an unpaid intern. Only a few weeks into his employment, once he was given an opportunity to show his talent and work ethic, he was given a salary.
Later in his career, Williams would be offered a commission by his employer at the time, John C. Austin, famed architect of the Griffith Observatory. This commission would allow Williams to open his own firm and would be the start of a long and successful practice.
Around the same time, Williams had entered several competition entries for small housing developments. He won the competition which gave him a huge amount of attention. Frank Putman Flint, a local Los Angeles businessman, got wind of his and would hire Williams for a job. Flint would develop into a long-term client for Williams, giving him a steady stream of work for the next several years.
2. Relationships with Clients
According to those who worked with him, Paul Williams was a deeply empathetic person that was able to listen, digest and implement his clients’ requests. He was able to show sensitivity to their needs and develop creative and architecturally significant solutions. As a practicing architect, I can say that this is not always a easy task. In my mind, it is perhaps one of the most important skills an architect must develop.
Without question, his heightened sense of empathy, care and consideration can be attributed, at least in some capacity, to the prejudice he encountered during his life. At this time in history, there were many Architects well known for their arrogance, egotism and difficult personalities. I can imagine that Paul R. Williams was aware of this and sought to create a different, more respectful and humane example in the architectural profession.
“He had a way of putting the clients needs first and then designing a house around them that was a gift.”
When new clients would come to his office, and discover his race, they would often attempt to retract their interest and leave his office. To overcome this, Williams developed an interesting tactic. He would tell the reluctant clients that their project was either too small or they did not have a large enough budget for his office. He would them turn them down and offer to make a referral for another architect. Prior to escorting them out the door, he would offer 10 minutes of preliminary consultation as a courtesy. Once the clients saw his gentle manner, sharp intellect and uncanny natural ability, they would often gain trust in him and reconsider their prejudice.
3. The Architect that Could Draw Upside down
In meetings, Williams would often sit across the table from his clients, as a way to respect the social norm of the time that African Americans were not to sit with white folks. For this reason, Williams developed the unique skill of drawing upside down. He was an incredible draftsman and artist. Seeing him produce beautiful hand sketches upside down in front of his clients was a real crowd pleaser and often won his commissions.
4. Paul R. Williams, Architect of the Stars
Eventually Paul R. Williams would develop into a highly sought-after architect. Williams created a practice and brand that was synonymous with the luxury and glamor of Hollywood. He designed homes for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Leon Chaney, Barbara Stanwyck, Tyrone Power and Frank Sinatra. He would eventually be in such high demand that he was able to open offices across the county.
“To review some of the clients for whom Mr. Williams has built is like reading a page from the Blue Book of Hollywood.”
“Among Hollywood’s wealthy and famous, the question isn’t, who has lived in a Paul Williams house. The question was, who hasn’t. ”
5. Los Angeles “Dream Team” of Architects
In the early 1960’s, Pereira & Luckman Associates, Welton Becket & Associates, and Paul R. Williams were selected to design Los Angeles International Airport. It was an honor to be selected for this commission.
Pereira and Luckman would have done most of the designing on the building however the designs would have been reviewed and approved by Becket and Williams. Ultimately, the building stands unused, primarily functioning as a symbolic structure of Los Angeles. While Williams cannot claim sole authorship of the Theme Building, his participation has left a lasting legacy on the image of Los Angeles as a city. Everyone who arrives and departs through LAX sees this structure.
“I survived a few hardships which might have been avoided had my face been white. But I do not regret those difficulties, for I think that I am a far better craftsman today than I would be had my course been free. ”
In Closing
Paul R. Williams defied the odds given the social prejudice that he encountered as an African American Architect during the early to mid-20th century. His ability to not just overcome this challenge but thrive and create the level of prestige and notoriety that he would achieve is fascinating. The tenacity, resiliency, and perseverance he exhibited, leaves me with great respect and admiration for both Paul R. Williams the Architect and Paul R. Williams the person.
References
Appleton, Marc, et al. Paul R. Williams. Tailwater Press, 2020.
