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Women in Business, Women in Design, Trailblazers : Julia Morgan

Our July-August Design Trailblazer is Julia Morgan (1872-1957), California’s first licensed woman architect.

Julia Morgan (1872-1957)

Morgan is known for being one of the most prolific architects in American history who worked on more than 700 hundred buildings in her 47 year career. One of her most famous works is Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California. Though, we think Julia would say her other famous work would be overcoming gender barriers at home and abroad in a male-dominated profession, inspiring generations of women to follow their dreams.

Morgan was born into a wealthy family in San Francisco, California and lived across the bay in Oakland with her parents and four siblings. As a young girl, her mother’s cousin, Architect Pierre Le Bron, sparked Morgan’s interest in design.

In 1897, L’Ecole Nationale et Speciale des Beaux-Arts finally allowed women to take the entrance exam. This decision was influenced by a group of persistent French female artists who had been petitioning for the school to admit women. Upon hearing the news, Morgan took the entrance exam. The school was only accepting the top 30 placements, but Morgan came in at number 42, and was denied. After studying and gaining more architect experience, she tried again and made it in the top 30, but was still rejected after the school falsely lowered her marks. The real reason they lowered her marks was that the school did not want to encourage young girls.

After Morgan completed her studies in Paris, she returned home, became the first licensed woman architect in California, and opened her own office in 1904 (after gaining work experience with architect John Galen Howard). Morgan paved her own path and opened her own office. Howard said, though Morgan was a great draftsman, he could get away with paying her peanuts because she was a woman.

Morgan’s most consistent and supportive client was the Hearst family. Phoebe Apperson Hearst, whom Morgan met through Maybeck, hired her in 1913 to transform 30 acres on the Monterey Peninsula into the Y.W.C.A. conference center. The conference center was renamed Asilomar or “refuge by the sea”. The Y.W.C.A staff, students, and supporters met periodically to discuss women’s issues of the time to find solutions, such as breaking into career fields dominated by men.

Morgan went on to attend college at the University of California Berkley as one of its first female civil engineering students. While studying at Berkley her passion for architecture flourished and after graduating in 1894 with a degree in engineering, Morgan pursued private studies under the local architect Bernard Maybeck. Maybeck encouraged her aspirations in architecture and suggested she enroll in the best architecture school at the time, L’Ecole Nationale et Speciale des Beaux-Arts in Paris. This prestigious school did not admit women at the time, but Maybeck heard rumors they would soon be changing the rules, so in 1896 Julia took a risk and travelled to Paris to begin the process for admission to the acclaimed school.

This didn’t stop Morgan, she tried for the third time and placed 13th out of 376 candidates and could not be ignored. She was accepted into the architecture program at age 26. Though, upon admission, Morgan was told by the school that she only had 3 years to gain her certificate, which would normally take 5. Morgan didn’t let this road block stop her. She persevered and received her architecture certificate just before her 30th birthday in 1902 after submitting a grand theatre design that was said to be outstanding. Morgan achieved her certificate in architecture and became the first woman to receive the qualification from the college.

From there, Morgan worked for herself and started getting commissioned for projects. Her reputation grew when Morgan's innovative bell tower for the all female Mills College was one of the few buildings to remain standing after the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. This provided her the opportunity to design hundreds of homes and many churches, office buildings, and educational buildings in the Bay area, helping to rebuild the community.

Fun Fact: The first Y.W.C.A. conference was held at Mills College near Oakland, CA, where Morgan’s standing bell tower was built.

The Asilomar conference center grounds offered housing including educational and vocational classroom facilities, where young women could take classes in money management, sewing, cooking, and typing. Morgan went on to build 28 more Y.W.C.A. buildings across California, Utah, Arizona and Hawaii. Morgan’s Y.W.C.A. building in San Pedro, California is the last standing Julia Morgan building still used as a Y.W.C.A. today. 

Photos from Asilomar archives, Hearst Social Hall, 1920 © Lawrence Anderson/Esto 
An interior from the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, Calif. 
(1913–1929).

In 1919, the well known journalist, William Randolph Hearst (Phoebe Hearst’s son), commissioned Morgan to design his family ranch after his mother died in the influenza epidemic. The family ranch was named La Cuesta Encantada, but is better known as Hearst’s Castle today. Morgan was involved in all aspects of the design and worked closely with Hearst to incorporate his collection of antiques and works of art. In 1947, after Hearst’s financial woes slowed, he left the Castle for the last time and Morgan’s work was finished after 28 years. The Castle was never completed in its entirety.

Morgan in 1926 with William Randolph Hearst, with whom she designed a castle of fantastic, pan-European architecture.
Credit...Marc Wanamaker/Bison Archives

One of Morgan’s original sketches for Hearst Castle, which became Morgan’s most famous work. Credit...Hearst Castle/Julia Morgan Collection, Environmental Design Archives, UC
© Lawrence Anderson/Esto

The Hearst Castle in San Simeon, Calif. (construction began in 1919).
&
© Lawrence Anderson/Esto - A bedroom in the Hearst Castle.

In 1951, four years after her work was completed at Hearst’s Castle, Morgan retired at the age of 79 and lived a simple private life until her passing in 1957.

Julia Morgan’s legacy continued:

• In 2008, Morgan was admitted to the California Hall of Fame. 
• In 2013, Morgan became the first woman to ever receive the American Institute of Architect’s Gold Medal (AIA’s highest award). The award was established in 1907 and Morgan became the seventh California architect to be given the honor.

Though, Julia Morgan did not live to see her Hall of Fame and Gold Medal awards, she accomplished her dream of becoming an architect and supported women groups and colleges along the way. She was a true trailblazer of her time.

“My buildings,” she said, “will be my legacy. They will speak for me long after I’m gone.” 
- Julia Morgan

Photos: 

https://www.californiamuseum.org/inductee/julia-morgan 

https://www.visitasilomar.com/discover/park-history/

https://womensmuseum.wordpress.com/2017/05/24/first-in-their-field-julia-morgan/ 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/06/obituaries/julia-morgan-overlooked.html 

Article References/Sources:

https://ywcaharbor.org/julias-closet/

https://hearstcastle.org/history-behind-hearst-castle/historic-people/profiles/julia-morgan/ 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/06/obituaries/julia-morgan-overlooked.html 

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Julia-Morgan

https://www.architectmagazine.com/awards/aia-honor-awards/gold-medal-julia-morgan_o

https://www.californiamuseum.org/inductee/julia-morgan

https://womensmuseum.wordpress.com/2017/05/24/first-in-their-field-julia-morgan/

https://www.visitasilomar.com/discover/park-history/ 

June & July Giving

The LCD Team gathered and donated women’s clothing, accessories, books, and furniture items to Julia's Closet at The YWCA in San Pedro. Since 1918, The YWCA has provided services to women, girls and their families through a variety of programs and has been a pioneer in the fight for racial and social change. Julia’s Closet Thrift Store is one of many programs The YWCA offers and their motto is “Empower Women, One Purchase At A Time.” 

The YWCA Thirft Store is named after Julia Morgan because she is the first licensed woman architect in California. She designed over 30 Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) buildings! In 1918, Julia designed the YWCA in San Pedro, which is the last standing Julia Morgan building still used as a YWCA. 

Her gift in architecture and support for women organization’s is why we chose Julia as our July/August Trailblazer. Read Julia’s full story here.

Click the image below to learn more about YWCA. 

Photo: YWCA Harbor