I Am an Architect: Paul R. Williams and His Archive

Discover the visionary legacy of the groundbreaking architect Paul R. Williams, one of the first Black members of the American Institute of Architects.Paul R. Williams, FAIA (1894-1980), was one of the most prolific Black architects of the twentieth century. He had strong ties to Southern California and the city of Los Angeles, yet his impact was undoubtedly global. I Am an Architect presents the first research-based, archivally driven monograph on this pivotal yet underrecognized figure. Threading together Williams's biography, social histories of Los Angeles, and transformations in the profession, this volume traces the architect's extraordinary career, from early residential commissions during Los Angeles's housing boom of the 1920s to his civic, religious, commercial, and cultural landmarks that came to define the city's identity at midcentury. It examines Williams's career-long commitment to creating space for and with Black communities as well as his national and international reach.Drawing upon Paul R. Williams's archive and including nearly 200 images, I Am an Architect reproduces diverse materials from Williams's extensive oeuvre--including drawings, prints, and hand-colored renderings--that have been largely unavailable until now. Ultimately, this book reveals how Williams reimagined public housing, residential design, and commercial and civic spaces with the belief that architecture could advance social progress.This volume is published to accompany an exhibition on view at the Fisher Museum of Art at the University of Southern California from August 18, 2026, to March 13, 2027, Los Angeles County Museum of Art from November 15, 2026, to May 31, 2027, and Getty Research Institute at the Getty Center from December 16, 2026, to July 18, 2027. Read more