Breaking Barriers in Architecture
The trailblazing story of John Saunders Chase Jr. is one of towering triumph in the face of adversity. Chase made history in 1952 when he became the first African American to enroll at the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture, from which he graduated that same year.
Shortly after in 1954, Chase became the first African-American architect to be licensed in the state of Texas. He accomplished this remarkable feat after no white architectural firm in Houston would accept him as an intern. Chase overcame discriminatory obstacles and passed the licensing exams on his first try.
Designing a Brighter Future
Buoyed by relentless grit and determination, Chase founded his own Houston-based firm in 1954, focusing primarily on ecclesiastical, residential, and community projects. Over the ensuing decades, his company blossomed into an African American-owned enterprise operating across multiple states.
Chase contributed iconic designs to the cultural landscape, including the MLK School of Humanities in Houston and the internationally acclaimed United States Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia. Through visionary architecture, he created uplifting structures to empower communities.
Lasting Impact
Beyond buildings, Chase also built up future generations of minority architects. He co-founded the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) in 1971 to promote diversity in the field.
Chase was a trailblazer both literally and figuratively. His breathtaking modernist designs broke construction barriers as well as societal barriers. Though Chase passed in 2012, his boundary-pushing legacy lives on through his timeless architectural marvels and the doors he opened for others.
