Paul Williams career would have been extraordinary under any circumstances.
Spanning 50 years and 3,000 projects, Williams designed many of the most important structures in mid-century Los Angeles.
As the Los Angeles Times observed recently, “If you have a picture in your mind of Southern California in the 1950s and early 1960s, you are quite likely picturing a building created by Paul Williams.”
Williams career, however, is all the more extraordinary because of all he had to overcome as an African-American architect at a time when such a combination wasn’t considered possible.
“He was the Jackie Robinson of architecture,” says Beverly Hills realtor Crosby Doe, an admirer who has sold a number of Williams homes to wealthy clients in recent years.
“Here was this man designing mansions in places he couldn’t dream of living,” says Karen Hudson, the architect’s grandaughter, family historian and keeper of the Williams archives, containing thousands of sketches, plans and writings.
And yet, Williams talent, attitude, demeanor and perspective allowed him to rise above it. “He was completely undaunted by racism,” says Hudson, who has authored two books on his career and life.
Our favorite quote: “A room should have a single focal point regardless of how much money is spent on it. A magnificent collection of furnishings, antiques, and so forth, if arranged insensitively, can look like a very expensive junkshop.”
One can only imagine Williams reaction to an African-American being elected president and moving into the world's most famous house. But another of his quotes provides a bit of insight: “White Americans, in spite of every prejudice, are essentially fair-minded people who cannot refuse to respect courage and honest effort. They will, therefore, give me an opportunity to prove my worth as an individual.”
We highly recommend the story attached for more on the work and legacy of Paul Williams
