![]() She also cared about them as individuals, paid well, and carried some through hard times. She mentored them and encouraged ongoing learning and growth. She set very high standards for herself and for all of her staff. She opened her own office in San Francisco in 1905. That is an astounding output, especially considering each project was unique and she gave personal attention to the design and construction of each one.Īfter working for architect John Galen Howard on construction of the UC Berkeley campus, Morgan decided she wanted to work for herself. In her career, Julia designed and built over 700 buildings, including private homes, schools, churches, YWCAs and much more, plus major building complexes such as Hearst Castle and Asilomar Conference Grounds. She became the first licensed female architect in California in 1904. ![]() It took her three years to be admitted to the school due in part to their reluctance to have female students. Julia Morgan received her Civil Engineering degree from UC Berkeley in 1894 and was the first woman to be admitted to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, the finest architectural school in Europe. She was totally focused on and passionate about her work. She had a strong affinity for the Bay Area. She spent her life living in the San Francisco Bay Area except for a childhood year in New York and her time in Paris. Julia Morgan was born in San Francisco, CA in 1872. The AIA Gold Medal is the organization’s highest honor it acknowledges architects whose work has had a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture.Born 1872 – San Franscisco, CA Died 1957 – San Francisco, CA ![]() In 2014, the American Institute of Architects posthumously awarded the AIA Gold Medal to Julia Morgan, the first woman to receive it. The fact that many of Morgan’s buildings still stand today and retain both their beauty and functionality, demonstrates her ability to design buildings that worked. By the time of her death in 1957, she had designed an estimated 700 buildings, mostly in California. She was also adept at working with different types of clients, from educational institutions to wealthy patrons. Throughout her career, Morgan maintained a strong connection to the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), for whom she designed over thirty buildings.Īlthough her training at the École stressed classicism, Morgan was comfortable working in many styles, and her designs range from simple Craftsman clubhouses, such as the YWCA in San Pedro, to the grandeur of Hearst Castle. Her affinity for women’s organizations-and theirs for her-led to many commissions over the years, such as Mills College (1903-1923) and the Berkeley Women’s City Club (1929). Indeed, she began her professional career during a time of significant women’s activism and progressive reform. A high-profile commission to re-build the Fairmont Hotel following the 1906 earthquake solidified Morgan’s reputation, leading to a dramatic increase in clients and to financial success.Īs a woman striving to succeed in a man’s field, Morgan relied on many women’s organizations for support over the years. In 1904 she became the first woman granted a license to practice architecture in California and shortly thereafter started her own business. When Morgan returned to San Francisco in 1902, she went to work in the office of architect John Galen Howard. Her son, newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, would give Morgan her most famous, and largest, commission: the extraordinary La Cuesta Encantada, better known as Hearst Castle, built between 1919 – 1947. Hearst was to become an important client, supporter, and friend. While in Paris, Morgan was visited by Phoebe Apperson Hearst, a wealthy philanthropist active in women’s issues and education. At the urging of her mentor, architect Bernard Maybeck, she attended the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, becoming the first woman to earn a certificate in architecture from the prestigious school. At a time when few women sought professional careers, she graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1894 with a degree in civil engineering. Her mother was an heiress and her father hailed from a well-connected East Coast family. Julia Morgan was born in San Francisco in 1872. Remarkable not only as an independent woman working in what was traditionally a man’s field, she was also a meticulous engineer and a talented designer. Julia Morgan was one of California’s most influential architects.
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