beverly loraine greene cause of death

Greene was then hired by the Chicago Housing Authority, breaking race and gender barriers in the process, and received her license to practice architecture from the State of Illinois on 28 December 1942 aged just 27. She helped design buildings for New York University, but sadly she passed away at the age of 41 on August 22, 1957 before her NYU projects were completed. Record Series41/8/805, Volume 43 (1936), p. 73. A unique legacy in architecture and planning: Beverly Lorraine Greene, Shaping 20th century America: Paul Revere Williams, Using new technologies to improve construction: Abdul-Majeed Mahamadu, Impacting young peoples lives: Omoleye Ojuri, Fighting racism through urban planning: Samuel J Cullers, University College London,Gower Street,London,WC1E 6BTTel:+44(0)20 7679 2000. Demolition begins on the Gas House District, NY, The cleared Gas House District site, ready for construction to begin on Stuy Town (see header photo). Wells Homes, Chicago, 193941. St. Claire Drake and Horace R. Cayton in Black Metropolis: A Study of Negro Life in a Northern City (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1945, 2015) discuss some of the connotations of the term Race Man, noting that its usage varied in black and white communities. STAFFORD Gary and Lorraine Parker were found lying together some distance from their all-terrain vehicle, their bodies heavily injured from sharp vegetation in the underbrush. Greene is also mentioned in an oral history project interview by Rudard Jones, a classmate, who later taught at the university. Firms & Partnerships: C.F. Some black women who had read Greenes interview saw this as evidence of Metropolitan Life Insurances willingness to hire black employees during this period, and they applied for office work. Beverly Loraine Green circa 1937. (n.d.). Later, in 1961 and 1970, two additional, large-scale complexes were built adjacent to the Ida B. As we honor #BlackHistoryMonth, let us pay tribute to Beverly Loraine Greene, the first African American woman to become a licensed architect in the state of Jarell Chavers LinkedIn: #blackhistorymonth #blackhistorymonth #beverlylorainegreene After several years of struggle, the site was officially acquired for the CHA housing project. After completing the second degree, Greene returned to her hometown and initially worked for the Chicago Housing Authority. Some of her work can even be seen internationally. Retrieved from, http://www.blackpast.org/aah/greene-beverly-loraine-1915-1957, Illinois Architecture College of Fine and Applied Arts. University of Illinois Archives. Aileen was part of the Modern Homes Division at Sears, Roebuck, & Co. Professional Organizations & Activities: Chicago Women's Architectural Club (CWA), Secretary. She worked at her new job at Met Life for only two-and-a-half days before leaving to become a full-time student. Beverly Loraine Greene died on August 22, 1957 at age forty-one in New York City. Education: Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan (undergraduate); University of Minnesota (graduate), Professional Organizations & Activities: American Institute of Architects (AIA), Firms & Partnerships: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM); Alfred Swenson Pao-Chi Chang Architects, Professional Organizations & Activities: Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Professor; One of the founders of Chicago Women in Architecture (CWA). After receiving a bachelor of architecture degree, she continued her studies at the University of Illinois in the graduate program of City Planning and Housing. Courtesy of the Chicago Daily Tribune. Wells Homes,, Race Architect to Work on $7,000,000 Project,. Professional Organizations & Activities: First documented African American Woman architect licensed in United States. Eleanor Raymond's "Rachael Raymond House", Belmont, Mass. She also worked with Edward Durell Stone on the arts complex at Sarah Lawrence College and on a theater at the University of Arkansas in 1952. The archivist at the University of Illinois confirmed Greenes graduation dates and the degrees that she received in an email to the author in February 2003. Her graduation date and the degree she received were confirmed by the Registrars Office in an e-mail to author, April 18, 2003. She advocated for professional Black women throughout her 18-year career. (2018, September 09). During her time with the architectural firm headed by Marcel Breuer she worked on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris, France, which was completed in 1958. Although Beverly Loraine Greene did not get to see her last project come to fruition. 10.03.23 -13.05.23 Furthermore, Greene also worked with the architectural firm headed by Marcel Breuer on the UNESCO United Nations headquarters in Paris, France (pictured below) as well as various buildings for New York University. Wells Archival Image & Media Collection, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.Arch., 1936, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, M.S. Sadly, Greene passed away aged just 41 on 22 August 1957, prior to the completion of UNESCO in 1958, as well as a number of the NYU buildings she had worked on, which were completed between 1956 and 1961. Loraine is a feminine given name that is a modern form of the Germanic Chlothar (which is a blended form of Hldaz and Harjaz). I remember there was one gal in my class and she was what we called colored girls thenBeverly Greene. Beverly Loraine Greene (1915-1957) Name. This photograph, taken February 22, 1965, shows the hearse bearing Malcolm Xs body pulling up in front of the Unity Funeral home, where thousands of people paid their final respects to the slain black activist. Greene is standing in the second row, third from the left. Beverly L. Greene ('45 M.Arch, 1915-57) was the first African American women architect licensed to practice in the United States; Norma Merrick Sklarek ( '50 B.Arch, 1926-2012) was the first African American woman to be made a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. From the moment that tenants began moving in in 1947, the segregation ruling caused major conflict, with a group of tenants forming a committee led by resident Dr Lee Lorch, who together fought against the ruling with petitions, pickets and a failed legal challenge in 1949. Beverly Loraine Greene was born 4 October 1915 in Chicago Illinois, an only child to parents James, a lawyer, and Vera, a homemaker. Greene, Beverly Loraine. An October 1945 society column reported that Greene was planning to start a recording company in Washington, D.C. Dan Butley, Back Door Stuff, New York Amsterdam News, October 20, 1945. For further information about these terms or reuse guidelines call us at (312) 922-1742. . Firms and Partnerships Chicago Housing Authority, 1938-45; Firm of Isadore Rosefield, ca. the legacy she built was reflected in her funeral service. The American Red Cross c. Future Educators of America d. A drama club called Cenacle. Beverly Lorraine Greene (4 Oct 1915 - 22 August 1957) was a groundbreaking urban planner and architect with a unique and distinguished path in education and practice. Greene went on to work for a number of notable architectural firms on memorable projects, includingthe arts complex at Sarah Lawrence College andthe UNESCO United Nations headquarters in Paris, France. Beverly Loraine Greene died on August 22, 1957 at age forty-one in New York City. In 1965, following Malcolm Xs assassination more than 30,000 people visited Unity Funeral Home during a two-day wake for Malcolm X. Greenes second project was for Rev. It was held at the Unity Funeral Home in New York, a structure she helped design. University of Illinois Archives. Subjects: African American History, People Terms: , Europe - France, , STEM - Architects Temple Hoyne Buell Hall. See the latest news and architecture related to Beverly Loraine Greene, only on ArchDaily. Beverly Lorraine Greene General Information Occupation: Architect Date of Birth: October 04, 1915 Date of Death: August 22, 1957 Birth City: Chicago Birth State/Province: Illinois Birth Country: United States Resident City: New York City Resident State/Province: New York Resident Country: United States in Architecture, 1945, Ida B. Retrieved September 12, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Loraine_Greene(Photo of UNESCO Building), Greene, Beverly Loraine (1915-1957) | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed. Subscribe and receive each quarterly issue at a reduced price. Beverly Loraine Greene (1915 - 1957), American architect; Charles Loraine Smith (1751 - 1835), English sportsman, artist and politician; Beverly Loraine Greene. Ironically she had also designed the Unity Funeral Home, the building in which her memorial service was held. Chicago was still a tough crowd. B.L.R. Woman Architect Blazes a New Trail for Others,. In addition to Norma Fairweather (later Norma Sklarek), he names Garnett Keno Covington (the first black female architecture student to graduate from Pratt Institute), Beverly Greene, and Carmen Seguinot. As we honor #BlackHistoryMonth, let us pay tribute to Beverly Loraine Greene, the first African American woman to become a licensed architect in the state of Jarell Chavers no LinkedIn: #blackhistorymonth #blackhistorymonth #beverlylorainegreene As we honor #BlackHistoryMonth, let us pay tribute to Beverly Loraine Greene, the first African American woman to become a licensed architect in the state of Jarell Chavers en LinkedIn: #blackhistorymonth #blackhistorymonth #beverlylorainegreene Do you find this information helpful? In December 1937, she and twenty others were invited to a dinner in Chicago for Paul R. Williams, the countys best-known black architect, who was visiting from California. By the late 1980s, this housing project was known as a drug and crime haven. The projects low-rise garden-type buildings contrasted with the high-rise buildings that later came to characterize Chicago public housing. In addition to the copyright to this collective work, copyright to the materials which appear on this site may be held by the individual authors or others. Retrieved from http://www.blackpast.org/aah/greene-beverly-loraine-1915-1957, Illinois Architecture College of Fine and Applied Arts. Greene was the only black woman employed by the firm, and one of only two women overall (the other was Belva Jane Barnes).2525In Architecture Without Rules: The Houses of Marcel Breuer and Herbert Beckhard (New York: W.W. Norton, 1996), David Masello writes that in 1951 two of Breuers employees were womenBeverly Greene and Belva J. Barnesand that one was black was a reflection of Breuers eclectic, enlightened and open-minded approach to architecture. In 1953, Greene also seems to have been the leading designer on a third project: a newspaper article in the Atlantic Daily World states that Greenes firm sent her to Chicago . By June 1939, Greene, just two years out of graduate school and not yet licensed, was working for the CHA with other black drafters and designers on the Ida B. Be a Modernist | Support our programme | Join our Membership. She advocated for professional Black women throughout her 18-year career. While recovering, he developed pneumonia, at times requiring an oxygen tank to help him breathe. UNESCO Headquarters, Paris. 1945-1955; Worked with Marcel Breuer on the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris and with Edward Durrell Stone on the Sarah Lawrence College Arts Complex at the University of Arkansas. I remember there was one gal in my class and she was what we called colored girls thenBeverly Greene. He passed away on Dec. 15, 1966, due to complications from surgery he had a month earlier to treat the cancer. Cloud, Fla., 1924, demolished 1966, Verna Cook Salomonsky, Ideal House for House and Garden magazine, July 1935, Week-end House for Colonel and Mrs. Julius Wadsworth, Fairfax, Va., 1952, Denver National Bank Building, Denver, 1981, Foot Bridge in Bowring Park, St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada, 1959, San Francisco Ballet Building, Main Entrance on Franklin Street at Fulton Street, San Francisco, 1983. Courtesy of the University of Illinois Archives. In 1978, some of Crawford's student drawings were featured in the "Chicago Women Architects: Contemporary Directions" exhibition at Artemisia Gallery in Chicago, Illinois. For the psychologist, see, Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 11:16, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, "The Illinois School of Architecture: A History of Firsts", "Built By Women: Peter Cooper Village Stuyvesant Town, Beverly Loraine Greene", "Research project spotlights African-American architects from U. of I. Beverly Greenes remains were sent to Chicago where a few days later a funeral was held at a chapel in Chicago attended by her family and Chicago area friends.2929Woman Architects Services at Unity, New York Amsterdam News, September 7, 1957. And she was just one of the gang then. In 1942, Greene was licensed in the State of Illinois as an architect. L. Greene, Chicago Daily Tribune, August 26, 1957; Beverly Greene, Jet Magazine, September 5, 1957; Dreck Spurlock Wilson, Duke founded the National Technical Association (NTA) composed of black architects, engineers and scientists. Getty Images, Bettman collection. In April 1944, she was part of the cast in the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta Patience presented at the Play-Arts Guild in Chicago. a project of the modernist society. In response to a question about how many women were in his class, he responded: Very few. The archivist at the University of Illinois confirmed Greenes graduation dates and the degrees that she received in an email to the author in February 2003. Woman Architects Services at Unity, the obituary for Greene in the, Greenes name appears on two projects in the online archives for the, IAWA Biographical Database, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Marcel Breuer Digital Archive, Syracuse University Library, Ida B. Video now shows Ronald Greene was kicked, dragged and tased by police. Greene died at Saint John's Hospital, where he underwent abdominal surgery Aug. 19 for a perforated ulcer. These articles must be merged (although I think the present . ", Pioneering Women of American Architecture, Beverly Lorraine Greene, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beverly_Lorraine_Greene&oldid=1140911200, First female African-American licensed architect in the US, Winthrop House Rockefeller addition, Tarrytown, N.Y., 1952, New York University Building Complex, University Heights campus, Bronx, N.Y., 1956. Greene never let the societal pressures of her time slow her down, and during her career she worked with a number of notable names in the architecture world. In the 1930 census, they were reclassified as Negro.. After graduation she started working at the Chicago Housing Department, but her new job was interrupted when she was offered a scholarship to study her MSc in Architecture at Colombia University in New York. Upon graduation from Columbia, Greene then went on to work for Isadore Rosenfield on the design of healthcare facilities (including Unity Funeral Home in New York where Greenes own memorial service would later be held), a role she stayed in until 1955. Greene died while en route to Glenwood Medical Center.". [3] The following year, she earned her master's degree from UIUC in city planning and housing. Greene collaborated with an architectural firm headed by, that specialized primarily in healthcare and hospital design. Artwork, Beverly Loraine Green & Stuy Town, New York, FAC 461 - Factory Records: The Complete Graphic Album - new limited edition. The term Race was often used to refer to black Americans who took pride in being African-American and worked to support racial justice. In 1951, she was involved with the project to build the theater at the University of Arkansas and in 1952, she helped plan the Arts Complex at Sarah Lawrence College. Greene was born in Chicago on October 4, 1915, the only child of James A. Greene, a postal worker from Texas, and Vera Greene, a wage worker from Missouri. That said, shortly after taking up the position, Greene won a scholarship to study urban planning from Columbia University and quickly left the project in order to return to education full-time, graduating with a Master of Arts in architecture. Bodycam footage of a Louisiana police officer showing the arrest of Ronald Greene on May 10, 2019. Architect: Marcel Breuer, completed 1958. (2018, September 09). Image courtesy University of Illinois Archives (0003076), Confounded: The Enigma of Blind Tom Wiggins, African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. Education: University of British Columbia; Iowa State College; Ashwell also studied for two years in England with the urban planner Thomas Mawson. (n.d.). Although Beverly Loraine Greene did not get to see her last project come to fruition, the legacy she built was reflected in her funeral service. Her graduation date and the degree she received were confirmed by the Registrars Office in an e-mail to author, April 18, 2003. She was the first African-American woman to earn her degree in architectural engineering from the University of Illinois. I often wondered what happened to her. Beverly L. Greene ('45 M.Arch, 1915-57) was the first African American women architect licensed to practice in the United States; Norma Merrick Sklarek ( '50 B.Arch, 1926-2012) was the first African American woman to be made a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. Beverly Loraine Green circa 1937. Beverly Loraine Greene. Professional Organizations & Activities: Chicago Women in Architecture, Founder AIA, RIBA, NCARB; Executive director of SOM foundation 2010-2019; National Trust of Great Britain; Architecture and Design Society of the Art Institute of Chicago; Chicago Architecture Foundation, Auxiliary Board Member since 1971, Awards & Honors: SAH award 2010; Chicago Women in Architecture Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, 2021, Date of Birth / Location: November 1, 1905 / Illinois, Date of Death / Location: September 22, 1983 / Oak Park, Illinois. She was an advocate for professional black women throughout her career. Courtesy of the University of Illinois Archives. Mary Ann Crawford in front of the Lindberg Construction Company building that she designed. Both graduates of Columbia's University's architecture program . (2004). Beverly Greenes final projects of her career were once again for higher education. Beverly Loraine Green was born in 1915 in Chicago, Illinois to parents James and Vera Greene. On September 24, 1944, a society column in the New York Amsterdam News, one of the most important black metropolitan newspaper in America at the time, announced that Greene (said to bethe only certified female Negro woman architect) was in New York City to stay.1818Dan Butley, Back Door Stuff, New York Amsterdam News, Septemeber 24, 1944. His family says they were told he died in a car wreck. Firms & Partnerships: Mary Colter was named the official Architect and Designer for the Fred Harvey company in 1910, she held the position until she retired in 1940. Greene contributed to the designs for the UNESCO United Nations Headquarters in Paris. There werent many girls. Rudard Jones Oral History interview by Ellen Swain, April 4, 2001, transcript in Voices of Illinois, University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. The Sweet Corn Society b. Beverly Greene, letter to J. H. Husband, Director of Grosse Pointe, Mich., Board of Education, August 30, 1951, concerning a revised structural drawing and a bulletin clarifying construction specifications for the Grosse Pointe Library. Lorene Shea died on May 1 at age 52. [1], This article is about the architect. Beverly Loraine Greene Receives Degree UofI_Chgo.Defender 26June37, Power of Celebrity: Famous Female Architect Beverly Loraine Greene - Architect Marketing Institute, Beverly Loraine Greene Illinois Distributed Museum, 15 Famous Black Architects - First African-American Architects, Chicago Architecture Center | 5 women architects in Chicago history you should know, Education: Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design, Northwestern University; Bachelor of Architecture, University of Illinois; 1965-1969. She applied anyway, and to her surprise, she was the first architect employed on the project. She submitted her application to help design it, in spite of the developer's racially segregated housing plans; and much to her surprise, she was hired. In 1945, Greene packed her bags and headed for New York City to work on a housing project for Stuyvesant Town in lower Manhattan after reading a newspaper article that the project would be funded by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. Date of Birth / Location: 1872 / Quincy, Illinois, Date of Death / Location: August 17, 1936 / Chicago, Illinois, Professional Organizations & Activities: Member, National Women's Association of Commerce; Board member, Aviation Club of Chicago; Director, Woodlawn Trust and Savings Bank; Member, Mens Association of Commerce, Date of Birth / Location: 1871 / New York, Education: Wellesley College, 1884-1890; AB from Cornell University, 1887-1890; Bachelor's of Science in Architecture, Chicago School of Architecture (a joint program with the Armour Institute, now Illinois Institute of Techonoly IIT, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago), 1902. What was her background, and how did she come to work in this area? Education: Bachelor of Architecture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 1929; Master's of Architecture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 1930. Although little is known about Greenes career during the war years, it seems that she worked at one or two architecture firms in Chicago after leaving the CHA.1515During this period, she chaired the planning committee for the Deltas 1940 Annual Jabberwock and a May 1944 three-day Mid-Western Delta Conference. Conrad Johnson (licensed in New York State in 1948) and Percy Ifill, Johnsons future business partner (licensed in 1950) were both to become good friends with Greene. Greene persevered and stayed true to her passions of architecture and learning, despite the racism she had to face, creating a lasting legacy in her too short career. This sorority, better known as the Deltas, was founded at Howard University in 1913; its goals included providing support to under-served communities and highlighting relevant issues. However, the War has ended that, and Negro women in the postwar world will have a fertile field in architecture. The cause of death is listed as respiratory arrest followed by cardiac arrest, said Saint John's spokeswoman Mary Miller. Black perspectives in the built environment. [2] A year later she earned a master in city planning and housing. And she was just one of the gang then. woman, architect | 1.3K views, 87 likes, 34 loves, 6 comments, 22 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from BET: Beverly Lorraine Greene was the first Black woman to graduate from University of Illinois at. She would also have known Norma Fairweather, later known as Norma Sklarek (New York States first black female architect, licensed in 1954). She was the only black and only woman member of the American Society of Civil Engineers student chapter and she also became a member of Cenacle, the universitys drama club.11Greenes name and image are included in a group photo of the student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Three of Greenes employersarchitects Isadore Rosenfield, Edward Durrell Stone, and Marcel Breuerwere all members and supporters of CANA, whose tenets encouraged the employing of black architects.2121Why Whites Would Work in C.A.N.A. CANA Newsletter 14, no.1 (June 1963). Greene went on to work for a number of notable architectural firms. "[1][2] She was registered as an architect in Illinois in 1942. [1], She died on August 22, 1957, in New York City, aged 41. Greene may have known them or other black architects before moving to New York, but becoming a member of the Council for the Advancement of the Negro in Architecture (CANA) established by Wilson, brought her into greater contact with black practitioners. 20072023 Blackpast.org. I wish some others would try it.2020Woman Architect Blazes a New Trail for Others, New York Amsterdam News, June 23, 1945. In 1936, she graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne with a bachelor's in architectural engineering, making history as the first Black woman to do so. This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 11:16. Marcel Breuer Papers, Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries. Her designs of schools, libraries, and housing projects continue to serve . Greenes fathers occupation at the time of her death was listed as attorney. Beverly Loraine Greene, believed to be the first African American woman architect in the United States, was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 4, 1915. That year, Greene was part of an African American committee that raised money to purchase an ambulance for the International Brigade fighting with the Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War.33Name Spain Ambulance Committee, Chicago Defender, December 18, 1937. in city planning there a year later. --Clithering 09:52, 18 October 2015 (UTC) @SusunW: Uh oh. Professional Organizations & Activities: Professional Women's Council Western Society of Engineers; American Society of Planning Officials; Professional Women's Club of Evanston, Illinois. According to architectural editor Dreck Spurlock Wilson, she was "believed to have been the first African-American female licensed as an architect in the United States. 1865-1945. Milton H. Greene (March 14, 1922 - August 8, 1985) was an American fashion and celebrity photographer and film and television producer, best known for his photo shoots with Marilyn Monroe. The family was part of the Great Migration that transformed Chicago starting in 1900; by 1920 more than 85 percent of the black population in Chicago lived within a chain of neighborhoods located on the South Side and known as the Black Belt and Bronzeville. Greene and her parents were listed as mulatto in the 1920 census, at a time when a particular ancestral lineage and difference in skin color warranted a special label. She had no brothers or sisters. The Columbia University Archives confirmed that the 194445 Student Directory included Beverly Lorraine Greene as a student enrolled in the School of Architecture at Columbia University. Greene earned a Bachelor of Science in architectural engineering from the University of Illinois in 1936. The 1940 census lists her occupation as supervisor at a technical center, a role that may have been connected with the CHA project.1414This center may have been related to her work for the Wells housing project. She went on to study at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, becoming the first African-American woman to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in architectural engineering in 1936, before going on to complete a Master of Science degree in city planning and housing. Professional Organizations & Activities: Chair of the Womens Architectural Club; Officer for the Society of Western Engineers; Licensed Architect with the State of Illinois, 1941; Licensed Engineer with the State of Illinois, 1943. AIA Affiliation. Regional Planning First Regional Planning Course in the U.S. Mary Louisa Page First Woman to Earn Degree in Architecture, Nathan Clifford Ricker Received First Degree in Architecture in the United States, Beverly Schmidt Blossom Expanding the Boundaries of Dance. Its a travel magazine of sorts..Out now. Both articles misidentified the school. Beverly Lorraine Greene (19151957) was the first African American woman to be licensed as an architect in the United States. Beverly Loraine Greene as a student at University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. Beverly L. Greene never let anything stand in her way when it came to pursuing her dreams in architecture. Woman Architect Blazes a New Trail for Others, Amsterdam News, June 23, 1945; Miss Beverly She also emphasized the opportunities for black women in architecture. work on a theater at the University of Arkansas in 1951 and the arts complex at Sarah Lawrence College (1952). . Greenes interest in theater and music would continue after her move to New York City, where nightclub singer and movie actress Lena Horne was reportedly one of Greenes closest friends. The companys response, in part, was to develop the Riverton Houses project in Harlem in a demonstration of the separate but equal policy followed by many organizations at the time. She moved to New York City in 1945 to work on the planned Stuyvesant Town private housing project in lower Manhattan being built by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Beverly Lorraine Greene. In, Woman Architect Blazes a New Trail for Others.. I wish that young women would think about this field, Greene remarked in a 1945 interview. According to architectural editor Dreck Spurlock Wilson, she was "believed to have been the first African-American female licensed as an architect in the United States." [1] [2] She was registered as an architect in Illinois in 1942.