Beverly Loraine Greene (1915-1957)

Beverly Loraine Greene was born October 4^th, 1915 in Chicago Illinois. Although she was born during a time where she was not accepted in the professional world she never stopped moving towards her goal of becoming an architect. In 1936, Greene made history by becoming the first African American female to earn a bachelor of science degree in architectural engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Although she was “amidst a sea of white male faces” at school, Beverly was known for having a calm presence that allowed her to focus on her difficult education (Illinois.edu). After graduating she began to search for a job in the industry, albeit the many obstacles in her way. Although it was difficult to find work at first due to racial discrimination, Greene’s talent and drive landed her a job with the Chicago Housing authority. This made her the first African American to be a part of the Chicago Housing authority, a corporation that oversees the housing in the city of Chicago. Shortly after joining this corporation on December 28, 1942 at the age of 27 Beverly Loraine Greene registered in the state of Illinois, making her the first African American female architectur in the United States. 

Eventually, Greene realized there were more opportunities for African Americans in New York persuading her to apply to another yet another housing project, but this time located in Stuyvesant Town in Lower Manhattan. Although New York was more progressive then Chicago at the time It was still extremely discriminatory. Sadly, the Stuyvesant Town did not allow the occupation of African Americans in there housing complexes, which lead to Greene not believing she would get the job. To her surprise, not only did she get hired for a job that explicitly claimed they would not hire people of color, but she was the first architect to get the position. However, Greene refused the role and instead chose to develop her passion for education by pursuing a Master’s degree in Architecture from Columbia University in 1945. 

Greene continued to work alongside many well-known designers of modernism, and took part in many well-known architectural firms. She was an architect that was inspired by buildings for the people. We can see this through her participation in hospital design and many educational buildings. Greene is known for working alongside Edward Durell Stone on the Arts Complex at Sarah Lawrence College, and the University of Arkansas Theater as well as university buildings for NYU. Her most well-known work was in collaboration with Marcel Breuer on the UNESCO (United Nations headquarters) in Paris. The UNESCO is known for being an architectural feat in that it had a unique futuristic look and letter “Y” shape design. This building is also known for the accordion building with an oval shaped hall and copper ceiling. Lorraine’s architectural skills laid in her intellect that came from her constant pursuit of education, as well as her ability to problem solve with a level head even in tense settings. Her friendly nature and ability to network is also what allowed her to make many friends in this profession, helping her advance in her career.   

UNESCO (United Nations Headquarters) in Paris in 2010, panned view of "Y" shaped architectural structure and surrounding buildings. 

Inside of the United Nations Headquarters in Paris, showing unique pillar structure and open hallways in the 1950’s. 

Stuyvesant Village Housing Project, designed by Beverly Loraine Greene in lower Manhattan, New York. 

Beverly Greene’s had major influence in the history of design in that her becoming the first female African American architect in the United States was a major turning point for BIPOC women in the field. Her fierce but level-headed attitude not only allowed her to break countless glass ceilings, but also helped her create amazing and impactful architectural feats. The fact that she was a women-of-many-firsts during trying times shows just how strong her skill and ethic was in the field. Additionally, Beverly was able to impact the architectural world when it shouldn’t have been possible, and this created a trail for many other aspiring architects to follow. Not only should Greene be celebrated for her accomplishments in advancing the role of BIPOC designers, but she should be celebrated for her timeless designs. Whether it be UNESCO, or one of the many college buildings she designed, most of Greene’s buildings are still standing today, and remain architectural gems. Beverly’s passion for education and her ability to push through the obstacles of her time resulted in the creation of buildings with strong yet clever structures that stay inspiring students and architects everyday.

References: 

“Beverly Loraine Greene.” Illinois Distributed Museum, University of Illinois, distributedmuseum.illinois.edu/exhibit/beverly-loraine-greene/.

“Campus Eras.” Mapping History at Illinois, www.library.illinois.edu/mappinghistory/campus-history/the-early-years/.

Goldberg, Julianna. “Beverly Loraine Greene.” Illinois Distributed Museum, distributedmuseum.illinois.edu/exhibit/beverly-loraine-greene/.

Rupert, Allison. “Beverly Loraine Greene (1915-1957) .” Blacklist.org, 16 June 2019, www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/greene-beverly-loraine-1915-1957/.