Paul Revere Williams gets the AIA gold medal

Paul Revere Williams was part of the team that designed the Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport

Photo courtesy Julius Shulman Photographic Archive/The Getty Research Institute

The late architect Paul Revere Williams is known for the LAX Theme building, the LA County Courthouse, the First AME Church, and private residences for many celebrities, including Frank Sinatra. He was also, in 1923, the first African-American member of the American Institute of Architects. This week the AIA is set to honor him with a posthumous Gold Medal for lifetime achievement at their national convention. Gabrielle Bullock is head of global diversity at the firm of Perkins+Will and told us why this overdue honor is so important.