hello again and welcome to another episode of the really show. I'm your host
Aaron Ross. Today's show famous 20th century architect Julia Morgan. If you
like the show we would love it if you would subscribe. Boom, red light, go. An
early trailblazer for working women she became the first female to be certified
an architect in California. In 1904 her wealthy family moved to San Francisco
from New York and eventually settled in Oakland California. The family receiving
most of its income from her grandfather Albert o Parmalee. Julia's mother took
the family on frequent trips to New York to visit family. It was there that Julia
was first introduced to her cousin Lucy Thornton's husband, successful architect
Pierre LeBron. Keeping in contact with LeBron, he
encouraged her to go to college. Upon graduating from Oakland High she went on
to study at the University of California in Berkeley. Oh Julia took classes in
engineering drawing with famous architect Bernard Maybeck.
Maybeck mentored her and encouraged her to study at the architectural school of the
famous Art Institute l’Ecole nationale superieure des Beaux-Arts where he had also
studied. Upon graduation she went to the l’Ecole and as she prepared for the
entrance exam at the architectural school, she learned that women had never
been allowed to study architecture there. Several hundred men took the tests for
the architectural program. Julia also asked to take the test but was strongly
discouraged from taking it. The men did not take her seriously as an architect
When she was finally allowed to take the entrance exam, it took her three times to
receive a passing score from the Institute examiner's. The l’Ecole did not want
to support a woman studying architecture however she persisted and became the
first woman to ever receive the certificate. Boom! Returning from Paris
she started working with John Galen Howard in San Francisco. Her work there
included the design of the William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre on the UC
Berkeley campus for President Teddy Roosevelt to come give a graduation
speech. As part of this work she met Phoebe Apperson
Hirst William Randolph's mother who would go on to be instrumental in
Julia's career as an architect. In 1903 after Howard joked about how little he
had to pay her as a woman, she said "BEEP" that I'm opening my own firm
boom! In 1903 after hearing John Galen Howard joke about how little he had to
pay her as a woman she opened her own architecture firm. Then shortly after in
1904 she took the exam and became the first
woman to be certified an architect in California. One of her first jobs as an
independent architect was the clock tower El Campanil at the Mills College
campus in Oakland. Which was funded by Francis Marion Smith, FM Borax
Smith and his wife Mary. Built in 1904 the Campanile was designed and built
with reinforced concrete which was notable because the building survived
the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Unlike many other local buildings at the time
another ever projects was to redesign the home of Phoebe Apperson Hearst
Phoebe Hearst was interested in opening a YWCA camp Center and in 1912 she began
to look at the location that is now the famed Asilomar refuge by the sea in
Pacific Grove California and Julia Morgan was chosen as the architect. Julia
designed the project in 1913 using the Arts and Crafts style of architecture.
Her architectural style blended buildings in with nature and she used
large windows to create the appearance of being outside. Her buildings are known
for being based on simple geometry. She also used producers of California
pottery to decorate her building designs. Julia also designed a number of churches
and the YWCA building in Oakland. Following the 1906 earthquake she was
brought in to design the rebuild of the famous Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco
In all she designed nearly 800 buildings in her career including more than 100
related women's causes and clubs however perhaps
her best-known work is the Hearst Castle in San Simeon California. Famed newspaper
publisher William Randolph Hearst originally hired her in 1919 to design
his house and guest houses on his ranch. Because Julia was very focused on what
her clients wanted in their designs this made her a favorite of Hearst who had a
grand vision for his Castle. Over the course of the next 28 years she would
continue to design and build further additions to the Hearst Castle including
grounds pools etc working closely with Hearst to incorporate his numerous
artworks into the design of the buildings.
Finally in 1947 Hearst left the castle and Julia's work was done even though
the castle was still not fully completed A popular tourist attraction Hearst
Castle has been used as a site for filming many movies. In 1957 at the age
of 85 Julia Morgan passed away in 2014 she was posthumously awarded an American
Institute of Architects gold medal. She was the first woman to receive the award
Despite the discrimination she experienced as a working woman in a
field where women did not typically participate
Julia thrived in her practice and was one of the most prolific architects of
the early 20th century. Well that's our show for today thanks again for watching
we'll see you next time.
What? Is that me? 19 by famed newspaper publisher William hand, hand off
Hearst